The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team has been picked as the preseason favorite in the Big West Conference with 94 points and five first-place votes from the 11 head coaches. Hawaii leads Cal Poly by two points and will play its final Big West season before moving to the Mountain West in 2026, according to Spectrum Local News.
Cal Poly received five first-place votes, and UC Santa Barbara received one, placing them fourth. The Rainbow Wahine team includes senior middle blocker Bri Gunderson, a 6-foot-3 player who transferred from Eastern Washington and led the Big Sky with 1.54 blocks per set, as reported by KHON2. Gunderson is one of seven Rainbow Wahine players named to the Big West Preseason Coaches' Team.
Hawaii will start its season on August 29 against Marquette at the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic. Last season, the team had a 21-10 record and will replace key players, including setter Kate Lang and kills leader Caylen Alexander. Hawaii is aiming to continue its streak of 31 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The team is ranked first, followed by UC Davis and Long Beach State in the Big West Conference.
