The Big West will be part of the robust women's volleyball linear broadcasting coverage on the ESPN family networks on Friday, Sept. 29 as Long Beach State women’s volleyball hosts defending champion Hawai’i at Walter Pyramid.
First serve for the ESPNU telecast between the Beach and Rainbow Wahine is slated for 7 p.m. PT.
In 2022, Hawai’i (22-7, 19-1 BW) captured their third straight Big West title, with Long Beach State (20-10, 16-4) finishing in third in the league standings under the direction of first year head coach and Beach alumnus Tyler Hildebrand.
Both squads return heavy hitters to the court, with a total of seven players from the 2022 All-Big West first and second teams suiting up for their respective squads. Hawai’i boasts an award-winning roster in 2023, including last year’s Big West Player of the Year Amber Igiede. Igiede is joined by Kate Lang, 2022 Big West Setter of the Year, and Caylen Alexander, coming off a Freshman of the Year campaign. The Rainbow Wahine look to defend their Big West crown and run the string to four consecutive and five in the last seven contested seasons.
Long Beach State’s notable returners include the All-Big West second-team trio of Morgan Chacon, Katie Kennedy and Zayna Meyer. Statistically, Meyer edged out Hawai’i’s Lang with a conference-leading 10.33 assists per set in 2022, while Igiede led the league and rated fifth nationally with a .433 hitting percentage.
Last season, Hawai’i took wins in both meetings and currently sport a streak of 11 straight victories in the regular season series.
The two tussle twice during the 2023 regular season as part of an 18-game conference slate, capping the year on Nov. 18 with the last game on the docket before the first-ever Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship bracket is finalized.
Long Beach state plays host to the top six teams in the final 2023 regular-season standings in a three-day championship over Thanksgiving week to determine The Big West’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball National Championship, set to take place Nov. 30-Dec. 16.
As part of ESPN’s industry-leading coverage of women’s sports, more than 2,500 women’s volleyball matches are set for ESPN platforms this fall – the most in ESPN history. The 2023 coverage also features NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship action shown in its entirety across ESPN platforms.
Over 125 women’s volleyball broadcasts across The Big West landscape will also be available to fans through ESPN+. Click here for upcoming listings to watch all 11 Big West member-institutions in action.