The University of Hawaii volleyball team made it a clean sweep of the Big West Conference. ADVERTISING The University of Hawaii volleyball team made it a clean sweep of the Big West Conference. Nikki Taylor was named the league’s Player
The University of Hawaii volleyball team made it a clean sweep of the Big West Conference.
Nikki Taylor was named the league’s Player of the Year on Monday and was joined by three of her teammates on the first team, and Dave Shoji was recognized as Coach of the Year.
Taylor, a junior opposite hitter, led the Rainbow Wahine to an unbeaten Big West season and is the program’s 24th player to earn a conference’s highest accolade.
The Kaiser (Oahu) graduated led the league in points, kills and aces, and she ranked fifth in the country in kills per set (4.36).
Olivia Magill, Emily Maglio, Tai Manu-Olevao also were named all-league, Taylor for the third year in a row.
Manu-Olevao, a senior outside hitter from Hilo, was all-league for the second time, sporting a career-high .227 hitting percentage with 237 kills.
Magill, a 6-1 middle blocker, led the league with a .413 hitting percentage, and she was first in the conference and seventh in the nation, averaging 1.53 blocks per set.
Maglio, of Canada, enjoyed a breakout sophomore season, finishing just behind Magill with a .395 hitting percentage and 1.24 blocks per set.
For guiding Hawaii (26-1) to its 34th appearance at the NCAA tournament – the Rainbow Wahine play TCU on Friday – Shoji was honored as a conference top coach for the 14th time.
Sophomore outside hitter Kalei Greeley and sophomore Savanah Kahakai earned honorable mention honors.
