Early success a boost for Wahine volleyball team | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

At the midway point of the Hawaii women’s volleyball nonconference schedule, the Rainbow Wahine are building a resume that could pay off in a big way come November.

Hawaii’s 4-1 start has been a roller coaster within every match as the Rainbow Wahine have yet to play a three-set match and have gone to five sets three times.

The fortunate part of that is the seeding criteria used by the committee that selects at-large teams to the NCAA Tournament don’t include sets won and lost within a match.

The primary criteria, according to NCAA.com, is RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), head-to-head competition, results versus common opponents, significant wins and losses and KPI.

Whether Hawaii needs an at-large berth if it can’t win the Big West Conference Tournament, or is looking to improve its seeding as the BWC champion, the schedule put together by the Hawaii coaching staff and Hawaii’s early-season success within it is shaping up to be a big help come tournament time.

“In my mind, it is all about RPI. That’s the name when it comes to us getting into the NCAA Tournament if we don’t win the Big West championship,” associate head coach Kaleo Baxter said after Hawaii’s four-set win over Texas State on Tuesday night.

September can be seen as a little early to be scoreboard watching with so many matches to be played from now until November, but the murmurs inside of SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center watching Hawaii’s first opponent, SMU, have been hard to ignore.

Since losing to Hawaii in five sets, the Mustangs are 5-1. They swept San Diego in their second match of the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic and then three days later swept then-No. 2 Nebraska, which Hawaii head coach Robyn Ah Mow said she went home and watched after practice that day.

Prior to UH’s win on Tuesday night, SMU again pulled off another big win, sweeping No. 18 Baylor on the road in Waco, Texas.

Meanwhile, San Diego, which UH defeated opening weekend, beat No. 17 BYU tonight in 5.

All but two of Hawaii’s nine nonconference opponents received multiple votes in the AVCA preseason top 25 rankings, including Texas State, which Hawaii will play again on Saturday to wrap up the Outrigger Invitational, which starts for the Rainbow Wahine tonight against Oregon State.

The Bobcats are spending a full week in Hawaii as part of their season-opening stretch of 13 consecutive matches away from home.

They are the preseason favorite in their conference, as was Pepperdine, which Hawaii split two matches with last week.

The Rainbow Wahine have three matches on the road next week, including a Texas two-step next Friday and Saturday at No. 6 Texas and at Baylor, before starting Big West play.

Take care of business this weekend and the nonconference schedule can play out exactly as the UH coaching staff envisioned, which included scheduling multiple Tuesday matches in lieu of having three teams competing in nonconference tournaments instead of four.

“(Tuesday) was a quick turnaround, but there are numerous teams playing Tuesday night matches that we aren’t used to here at Hawaii, and it also sets us up for next week when we are playing (this) Tuesday at UNLV,” Baxter said. “(It’s) a lot of volleyball, and when these young women are able to get a lot of touches, that’s when we really see their game elevate and grow.”

Texas State (4-3) swept Oregon State (1-5) on Thursday to open the Outrigger Invitational.

The Beavers have two players on their roster from Hawaii. Freshman Emma Lily, who finished second in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Fab 15 last year, is Oregon State’s starting setter and finished with 19 assists and seven digs against the Bobcats.

Alexis Rodriguez is a 5-foot-11 freshman outside hitter from Mililani who hasn’t played yet this season.

Outrigger Invitational

At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center

Tonight

>> Hawaii (4-1) vs. Oregon State, 7 p.m.

Saturday

>> Hawaii vs. Texas State, 7 p.m.

>> TV: Spectrum OC16

>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM