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What 2 Watch 4
Defending champion Hawai’i surged to the top line of the standings after the third week of non-conference play, sporting a 6-1 record with all seven matches coming on the home floor at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. This week, the Rainbow Wahine venture to the mainland for crucial matches at UNLV, No. 8 Texas and No. 20 Baylor to test their mettle.
Along with the two ranked Big 12 foes, UC San Diego meets up with No. 21 USC of the Big 10 in a first Top 25 test in the Melanie Greene era.
CSUN and Long Beach State are the two league sides that are hosting matches this weekend before league play commences next Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Seven of the conference’s 11 squads are currently at or above the .500 mark in non-conference action.
Various home and road contests will air on ESPN+ throughout the 2024 campaign. Check listings for specific match information.
Last Week, Today
- Hawai’i (6-1) - The Rainbow Wahine have been on a hot streak of late, picking up another pair of wins over the weekend and claiming three of the four Big West weekly awards. Caylen Alexander ‘s historic 38 kill outing against Texas State was the first 30-kill performance for UH since 2016. The junior is the first to exceed 35 kills since 2006 and earned OUTRIGGER Invitational Tournament MVP and Big West Offensive Player of the Week. Kate Lang picked up a 12th career Setter of the Week award with 10.36 assists and 2.93 digs per set while Freshman of the Week distinction went to Honolulu native Miliana Sylvester who recorded 29 kills and 12 blocks over three matches last week. Lang surpassed the 3,500 career assist mark on Saturday’s victory over Texas State.
- Cal Poly (5-3) - The Mustangs enjoyed a two-win week at UNLV, dispatching the host Rebels and North Texas. Outside hitter Tommi Stockham continued to lead the offense, taking home Tournament MVP honors while averaging 3.50 kills and 2.75 digs per set. In Friday’s victory over UNT, Stockham surpassed 1,500 career kills, now sitting and 1,507 which rates 14th in NCAA Division I. Setter Emme Bullis also received the All-Tournament nod as Cal Poly has now strung together three straight wins.
- Long Beach State (4-3) - The Beach went 2-1 on a road trip to Kansas and Arizona with Natalie Glenn pacing the offense with 3.80 kills per set on .350 hitting with eight aces. The senior recorded a 16-kill, 13-dig double-double against host Wichita State while hitting .382 (16-3-24). Kameron Bacon anchored the front line averaging 1.20 blocks per set including six denials against the Shockers. LBSU got wins over Omaha and Wichita State before falling at No. 14 Arizona state in three.
- Cal State Fullerton (3-5) - The Titans went 2-1 on the week that included a pair of home victories over ORU. Cal State Fullerton captain Lyla Traylor finished with 31 kills, 33 digs and four aces across three matches and the team has already surpassed 2023’s win total.
- UC San Diego (6-2), Cal State Bakersfield (5-4), UC Irvine (5-4) and UC Riverside (2-7) each earned a victory on the weekend. For the Tritons, Ava McInnes picked up All-Tournament team honors at the Erie Insurance Invitational. In Thursday’s five-set loss to James Madison, McInnes tallied 16 kills and six aces - one shy of the UCSD Division I single-match record. Big West Defensive Player of the Week Katerina Georgiadis of Cal State Bakersfield scooped out 18 digs with six assists in a 3-1 win over Gonzaga. The Anteaters got an All-Tournament performance from Hunter Reidl as the team went 1-2 and picked up a five-setter against Wyoming. Trinity Sheridan paced the Highlanders attack and was named to the Riverside Classic All-Tournament Team highlighted by `14 kills on .433 hitting against California Baptist. UCR earned the 3-1 win over the Lancers for the first victory over the crosstown rival in 27 years. Also of note this week, UC Davis’ Olivia Utterback went over the 1,000 career kills mars in Sunday’s 3-1 loss at Washington.
Road Warriors
Big West teams are road warriors, competing coast-to-coast in 12 states and the District of Columbia after the first week of action. Along with the home states of California and Hawai’i, teams have already competed in: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia and Washington. Louisiana, Kansas and Texas will set the total to 18 at the conclusion of the non-conference slate - 36 percent of the United States.
Poll Position
After opening the 2024 season receiving votes, Hawai’i again sees itself in the category in the latest AVCA/Taraflex Division I Coaches’ Poll for Sept. 16. With five points, UH lands in 34th nationally.
Welcome to The Big West
Three new head coaches come into the fold, with Long Beach State being led by Natalie Reagan, UC San Diego tapping Melanie Greene to the first chair and CSUN bringing in Aquiles Montoya to lead the program.
On the Beach bench as assistant in 2023, Reagan previously led Harvard-Westlake to the California State Championship and has experience assisting at LMU, Nebraska and alma mater Oregon State. Before being tapped to head the Tritons, the San Diego native Greene had been involved in the San Diego State program – both as a coach and as a student-athlete – since 2004. Montoya's path to CSUN came by way of the Pacific Northwest, with stints on the staff at Portland State, Pacific (DIII), and Portland.
Officially Official
After completing a four-year reclassification process from Division II, UC San Diego is now fully eligible for The Big West and national postseason in all sports, beginning in 2024-25.
Beach vs. ’Bows on ESPNU
The Big West will be part of the robust women’s volleyball linear broadcasting coverage on the ESPN family networks, when Long Beach State hosts Hawai’i at Walter Pyramid on Saturday, Oct. 5. First serve on ESPNU is slated for 7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. HT.
The contest will be a rematch of the inaugural 2023 Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship finale, where No. 2 seed UH got the best of fourth-seeded host LBSU, 3-0. The crowd of 2,237 fans stood as the highest 2023 Division I women’s volleyball conference championship final match attendance.
2024 Preseason Prognostications
With a tight race to the top of the tally and four teams recording first-place votes, the Cal Poly Mustangs have been picked to claim the Big West crown, according to the league’s 11 head coaches.
The Mustangs recorded 94 total points and five first-place votes in the 2024 Big West Women’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll to sail to the top of the standings, nine points clear of closest competitor and 2023 Big West Championship victor, Hawai’i.
Cal Poly retains five starters from the 2023 season and over 90 percent of their production in kills, sets, and blocks highlighted Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team selection Tommi Stockham. The redshirt senior outside hitter is attempting to become just the second Mustang and 14th player in Big West history to make the Four-Time First Team list in 2024. The Mustangs are seeking a first Big West title since 2018.
Second in the polling with 85 points and three first-place votes is the Rainbow Wahine, winners of the inaugural Big West Championship and NCAA participant in 30 consecutive seasons, since 1993. The ‘Bows have won four straight Big West titles, claiming the regular-season crown in 2019, ’21 and ’22 to go along with last season’s win as the No. 2 seed in The Big West bracket.
Hawai’i owns two spots on the Preseason All-Big West team in 2022 Big West Setter of the Year Kate Lang and junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander.
Long Beach State also boasts two preseason picks in 2023 Setter of the Year Zayna Meyer and senior outside hitter Natalie Glenn.
The Beach are just two points behind UH in the final tally after the 2023 runners-up clocked 83 points and two first-place votes.
Defending regular-season victor and NCAA participant UC Santa Barbara comes in fourth in the polling with 75 total points and the final first-place nod.
UC San Diego is slotted in fifth with 63 points and see senior Ava McInnes earn the preseason team nod. The final member of the Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team is UC Davis senior opposite hitter Olivia Utterback.
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