Vulcans volleyball ready for today’s home opener
After a two week layoff, the UH-Hilo Women’s Volleyball squad will be back in action this weekend — this time at home — for the Vulcans’ Pacific West Conference opener at the on-campus Vulcan Gymnasium.
UH-Hilo (3-5, 0-0 PacWest) will go head-to-head with HPU (0-5, 0-1 PacWest) today with first serve set for 7 p.m.
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Saturday’s match will be the first of four upcoming matches as part of the Vulcans’ first home stand as UH-Hilo will follow with matchups against Concordia University Irvine, Point Loma and Azusa Pacific.
Following the conclusion of Saturday’s contest against HPU, fans can get a free schedule poster and have it signed by the team during an autograph signing session.
UH-Hilo opened in Alaska splitting each of two matches against both the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the University of Alaska Anchorage, the latter of which was ranked No. 14 at the time.
The following weekend, the Vulcans hopped to O‘ahu for two double-days of action for a win over American International College before falling to No. 23 Cal Poly Pomona, West Virginia State and Sonoma State.
“The last two weeks have been really good for us to see what we need to work on. We had a good tournament in Alaska — good to see how the team comes together,” senior captain Kamryn Childs said. “We have really good team chemistry and I think just going into this home opener we know it’s going to be a challenge.”
With six newcomers and 12 returnees, the Vulcans have brought back many players who saw significant time on the court a season ago. Through the early games, senior Taylor Tullo (88 kills) and redshirt-freshman Isabella Hadaller (72 kills) provided a majority of the hitting power after both sat out the 2022 season.
Newcomers Chase Koepke and Raelee Samio have helped provide a physical presence at the net, combining for seven solo blocks and assisting on a total of 29 blocks.
“Definitely a lot of returners, but the new girls make our bench really deep so it’s really exciting to see that no matter what happens, they can step on the floor and we have confidence in them. It really adds to the team dynamic,” Childs said.
Childs has done a little bit of both, ranking tied for No. 2 on the team at 14.0 blocks and leading the team with 11 aces and hitting percentage (.315) for those with at least 100 attempts.
Face lift
When fans enter the Vulcan Gymnasium, they will immediately notice a new look with a fresh coat of paint in addition to a few visual upgrades.
It was a summer-long project spearheaded by head coach Chris Leonard with many hands coming together to put in countless hours of elbow grease.
“The team is extremely grateful to play in a home that looks and feels ‘Vulcan Proud.’ There is no question when you walk into the gym, whose house it is,” Leonard said in a UH-Hilo press release.
Vulcan Booster Club president Keene Fujinaka, HPM Building Supply president and CEO Jason Fujimoto, Gilbert Aguinaldo and UH Hilo Art professor Michael Marshall will be recognized prior to Saturday’s match.
Tickets
Single-purchase and season tickets are now available to be purchased online through UH-Hilo Vulcans Athletics’ recently launched online ticket platform in partnership with AudienceView Campus.
The 2023 slate will feature 10 total home matches at the Vulcan Gymnasium with a package price of $75 for adults and $40 for seniors (ages 65-plus) and middle/high school students.
Single-game prices are set at $10 for adults and $5 for seniors (65-plus) and middle/high school students.
Both can be accessed at HiloAthletics.com/tickets.
Admission is free for UH Hilo and Hawai’i Community College students, faculty and staff with valid ID, as well as for ages 12 and under.
