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Post by WahineFan44 on Aug 9, 2024 12:06:00 GMT -5
Kaleo getting promoted was probably cause he was applying at other schools..
Guess Robyn really wanted to keep him
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Post by skeleton on Aug 9, 2024 12:28:09 GMT -5
Rainbow Wahine have a lot of work ahead as camp beginsBy Billy HullJAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine volleyball team went through warmups during the first fall volleyball practice on Thursday.It hasn’t happened since before the COVID-19 pandemic that Robyn Ah Mow has had to undertake a significant overhaul of the Hawaii women’s volleyball roster like this one. The on-court process of replacing seven letterwinners, including three-time third-team All-American Amber Igiede, officially began on Thursday with the start of fall camp, meaning practices in both the morning and afternoon. Ah Mow brought up her first season in 2017 in comparing the task of what lies ahead for the four-time defending Big West champions, who welcome five newcomers — four freshmen and a transfer. It’s a challenge, for sure, but one that Ah Mow welcomes. “You know me, we’ve just got to get going,” Ah Mow said before the start of Thursday’s afternoon practice. “I will find a way.” Hawaii’s roster of 13 players is the fewest in Ah Mow’s eight years as head coach. In addition to six seniors moving on, UH lost outside hitter Paula Guersching and libero Colby Lane, who both transferred out. Malinah Purcell-Telefoni, an outside hitter out of Kapolei who signed as part of the incoming freshman class, informed the coaching staff last month of her decision not to play volleyball. Hawaii has added a middle blocker in 6-foot-3 junior Morghn Monahan, a transfer from Hawaii Pacific. With fall camp underway, Ah Mow said there is one virtue she will need to have a little more of. “I think this year I’ve got to put on a little more patience hat,” she admitted. She still has plenty of talent to work with, including returning pin hitters Caylen Alexander and Tali Hakas, who is currently out while she plays for the national team in Israel and is expected back in late August. Sophomore Stella Adeyemi was a breakout player during the spring. Jacyn Bamis is the lone returning middle blocker and worked the entire spring as the only middle on the roster. Freshmen Miliana Sylvester and Maddie Way will have to pick up things quickly, as at least one of them will be forced into action right away. “We might look pin dominant, but I’m still a ‘we’ve got to use the middle’ person,” Ah Mow said. “Maybe not as much (as last year), but we don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ve got two full weeks to get things going, but it will definitely be different. You never know what is going to happen.” The one area UH can rely on is setter, where four-year starter Kate Lang returns as one of two seniors with libero Tayli Ikenaga. Sophomore Jackie Matias is in her third year with the program, and UH added reigning state Player of the Year Adrianna Arquette out of Kamehameha. Arquette was recruited at setter but played outside hitter, opposite and middle blocker at Kamehameha. Ah Mow said she is capable of playing any of those positions for the Rainbow Wahine. “She is like a utility player for us,” the coach said. Lang, who practiced for a week with the USA Women’s National Team early in the summer, will rely on her experience to help adjust to her new teammates. A lot will feel different on the floor come the season opener. “I feel like I am coming in this year just saying I’ve done this before, I’ve been here, and this is something I’ve done four times now,” Lang said. “I’m trying to give myself a little bit of confidence with that and I’m also trying to keep myself fresh. I really want to be fresh minded and stay clear in my head so I can take in new information Coach Rob has for me and I want to stay fresh for her.” Hawaii opens the season in three weeks against SMU on Aug. 30 in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. UH will then play San Diego two days later.
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vballfreak808
Hawaiian Ohana
2020 All-VolleyTalk 1st Team, All-VolleyTalk 2nd Team (2023, 2022, 2017, 2016), All-VolleyTalk HM (2021, 2019, 2018), 2017 Fantasy League 1st Runner-up, 2016 Fantasy League Champion
#GoBows
Posts: 13,152
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Post by vballfreak808 on Aug 9, 2024 13:10:48 GMT -5
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Post by VT Karen on Aug 9, 2024 14:06:06 GMT -5
Congratulations to Kaleo. I hope that he finds success in his new role.
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Post by raian13 on Aug 9, 2024 14:24:39 GMT -5
Really we are on the losing side of recruiting. While other midmajors like Creighton, USD, and LBSU keep on getting the better transfers. The AD really need to shake things up in the coaching team. I hope they do it soon. Better transfers doesn’t always equate to being a better team. You also got to factor in the fact that Robyn looks for fit more than straight up talent. If the kid can play but is not team oriented, doesn’t enjoy community service or repping your school and state, then Robyn probably doesn’t go after such kids. LBSU has gotten some talented kids but they haven’t had the level of success UH have had. Going to post season every season Robyn coached here is unmatched by any other coach in the BW. My point was we cannot even attract transfers to fill our roster. Like everyone on here says, we need the depth to ensure our athletes remain healthy and that they won’t be overused all season. Robyn is a good coach, sure, but that’s just a fraction of the pie. She needs to be aggressive in recruiting also. Is Hawaii really that hard of a place to play for nowadays?
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Post by hapaguy on Aug 9, 2024 14:44:34 GMT -5
Better transfers doesn’t always equate to being a better team. You also got to factor in the fact that Robyn looks for fit more than straight up talent. If the kid can play but is not team oriented, doesn’t enjoy community service or repping your school and state, then Robyn probably doesn’t go after such kids. LBSU has gotten some talented kids but they haven’t had the level of success UH have had. Going to post season every season Robyn coached here is unmatched by any other coach in the BW. My point was we cannot even attract transfers to fill our roster. Like everyone on here says, we need the depth to ensure our athletes remain healthy and that they won’t be overused all season. Robyn is a good coach, sure, but that’s just a fraction of the pie. She needs to be aggressive in recruiting also. Is Hawaii really that hard of a place to play for nowadays? Yeah, you'd think that by having a coach that played at the highest levels (Olympic setter silver medalist), playing in one of the nicest venues in the country, with year after year one of the largest attendance/fan base in the nation, with the history our program has that we'd be able to land more/better players but no. We have a small roster (13!) yet we didn't get one significant transfer in the offseason. Maybe the word is out and players don't want to play for Robyn?
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Post by hwnstunner on Aug 9, 2024 15:00:43 GMT -5
My point was we cannot even attract transfers to fill our roster. Like everyone on here says, we need the depth to ensure our athletes remain healthy and that they won’t be overused all season. Robyn is a good coach, sure, but that’s just a fraction of the pie. She needs to be aggressive in recruiting also. Is Hawaii really that hard of a place to play for nowadays? Yeah, you'd think that by having a coach that played at the highest levels (Olympic setter silver medalist), playing in one of the nicest venues in the country, with year after year one of the largest attendance/fan base in the nation, with the history our program has that we'd be able to land more/better players but no. We have a small roster (13!) yet we didn't get one significant transfer in the offseason. Maybe the word is out and players don't want to play for Robyn? Hawaii just graduated six, brought in four freshman, have three committed for 2025, and one committed for 2026. I know this year is a wash, but that last sentence is more of a one off season than an overall assessment
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Post by gr8lakes on Aug 9, 2024 15:02:08 GMT -5
We will never know for sure, but I suspect there were some transfers that fell through for whatever reason.
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Post by hwnstunner on Aug 9, 2024 15:13:33 GMT -5
Is Maddie Way recovered from her injury she had this Spring/Summer?
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Post by VT Karen on Aug 9, 2024 15:19:32 GMT -5
My point was we cannot even attract transfers to fill our roster. Like everyone on here says, we need the depth to ensure our athletes remain healthy and that they won’t be overused all season. Robyn is a good coach, sure, but that’s just a fraction of the pie. She needs to be aggressive in recruiting also. Is Hawaii really that hard of a place to play for nowadays? Yeah, you'd think that by having a coach that played at the highest levels (Olympic setter silver medalist), playing in one of the nicest venues in the country, with year after year one of the largest attendance/fan base in the nation, with the history our program has that we'd be able to land more/better players but no. We have a small roster (13!) yet we didn't get one significant transfer in the offseason. Maybe the word is out and players don't want to play for Robyn? I think that being locked up on an island with not too many things to do and far away from family and the lack of money, especially in the realm of NIL is enough to offset all the things you mentioned above. What would word would have gotten out about Robyn?
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Post by hwnstunner on Aug 9, 2024 15:24:57 GMT -5
I'd be concerned if Hawaii had nothing in place for 2025 and 2026, but they do. All the graduating seniors under Robyn have loved playing for Ah Mow and this program. Even the transfers that have exited (which haven't been many compared to other programs) have shared their thanks being on the program. Like I said, this is probably a one year whiff in the transfer portal. But we have four freshmen, so that's a pretty large incoming class... transfer portal can be volatile for many reasons in this day in age. Here's a longer video that as longer interviews from yesterday. Ah Mow, Lang and Ikenaga all addressed the *white elephant in the room* subtley. They know they'll need to work hard given the roster size and inexperience. So it's not like they are unaware... hawaiiathletics.com/news/2024/8/8/womens-volleyball-begins-building-toward-2024-season.aspx
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Post by VT Karen on Aug 9, 2024 15:30:20 GMT -5
I'd be concerned if Hawaii had nothing in place for 2025 and 2026, but they do. All the graduating seniors under Robyn have loved playing for Ah Mow and this program. Even the transfers that have exited (which haven't been many compared to other programs) have shared their thanks being on the program. Like I said, this is probably a one year whiff in the transfer portal. But we have four freshmen, so that's a pretty large incoming class... transfer portal can be volatile for many reasons in this day in age. Here's a longer video that as longer interviews from yesterday. Ah Mow, Lang and Ikenaga all addressed the *white elephant in the room* subtley. They know they'll need to work hard given the roster size and inexperience. So it's not like they are unaware... hawaiiathletics.com/news/2024/8/8/womens-volleyball-begins-building-toward-2024-season.aspxAgreed! I'm finished lamenting about how Hawaii didn't secure any higher profile transfers for whatever reason. It is what it is and it didn't happen. The team (coaches included) knows that they need to work hard to get up to speed before the season opener. I am excited for the freshman and very excited to see Hawaii's trio of pins with Stella, Tali and Caylen. If Hawaii does end up having a bad season, it won't be because they didn't do their best.
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Post by hwnstunner on Aug 9, 2024 15:38:18 GMT -5
I'd be concerned if Hawaii had nothing in place for 2025 and 2026, but they do. All the graduating seniors under Robyn have loved playing for Ah Mow and this program. Even the transfers that have exited (which haven't been many compared to other programs) have shared their thanks being on the program. Like I said, this is probably a one year whiff in the transfer portal. But we have four freshmen, so that's a pretty large incoming class... transfer portal can be volatile for many reasons in this day in age. Here's a longer video that as longer interviews from yesterday. Ah Mow, Lang and Ikenaga all addressed the *white elephant in the room* subtley. They know they'll need to work hard given the roster size and inexperience. So it's not like they are unaware... hawaiiathletics.com/news/2024/8/8/womens-volleyball-begins-building-toward-2024-season.aspxAgreed! I'm finished lamenting about how Hawaii didn't secure any higher profile transfers for whatever reason. It is what it is and it didn't happen. The team (coaches included) knows that they need to work hard to get up to speed before the season opener. I am excited for the freshman and very excited to see Hawaii's trio of pins with Stella, Tali and Caylen. If Hawaii does end up having a bad season, it won't be because they didn't do their best. Absolutely. To keep nagging on the lack of transfers at this point, takes away from the fact we have players that have been part of this program since their freshmen season in Lang, Ikenaga, Alexander, etc. and away from the other nine that said yes to being Wahine. Hawaii has had 13-player rosters before believe it or not. Not many, but not unheard of. Just look back on the roster tab on the website.
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Post by medusa on Aug 9, 2024 16:58:22 GMT -5
Twenty and a wake up. GO BOWS!!!!!
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Post by hapaguy on Aug 9, 2024 17:08:34 GMT -5
Yeah, you'd think that by having a coach that played at the highest levels (Olympic setter silver medalist), playing in one of the nicest venues in the country, with year after year one of the largest attendance/fan base in the nation, with the history our program has that we'd be able to land more/better players but no. We have a small roster (13!) yet we didn't get one significant transfer in the offseason. Maybe the word is out and players don't want to play for Robyn? What would word would have gotten out about Robyn? I don't know. I'm guessing. But with all that our program has going for it as I listed above, isn't it strange that we were not able to get one significant transfer?
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