THIS WEEK
Friday, Sept. 22, UH Hilo (3-5/0-2) vs. Academy of Art (2-6/0-2), Vulcan Gymnasium, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 23, UH Hilo vs. Fresno Pacific (2-8/1-1), Vulcan Gymnasium, 7 p.m.

Hilo Headlines: After eight straight matches on the road, the Hawai`i Hilo volleyball team comes home for the first time this season for Friday and Saturday night matches. On Friday, the opponent is Academy of Art and Saturday the Vulcans will face Fresno Pacific. Start time for both is 7 p.m.

Promo Post: Friday is a great night to bring the kids, as all keiki in attendance will receive a UH Hilo schedule poster. The Vulcan players will be available after the match to sign autographs and meet the kids. On Saturday, it's Sack the Sunbirds night. The first 100 fans through the door will receive a free Vulcan reusable grocery bag. 

O for Oahu: UH Hilo opened its 2017 Pacific West Conference campaign last Friday and Saturday at Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific, and despite close games across the board, returned home 0-2 in league play. Against the Silverswords, they dropped a tight second set (25-23) and won the third set (25-17) but couldn't find any magic in the fourth as Chaminade improved to 7-3 with the win. Against the Sharks, the Vulcans were within two or three points of their hosts nearly the entire night, but still lost all three sets---25-22, 26-24, 25-20. The Vulcans had set point in the second game before HPU grabbed the final three digits to secure the match, and moved to 2-0 in PWC play.

Randi's Ready: The Vulcans played both matches without outside hitter Randi Hunter, who missed the trip with the flu. Hunter, a junior transfer from Prairie View A&M, went into the weekend as UHH's second leading hitter, with 2.21 kills per set. She is expected to play this weekend against the Urban Knights and Sunbirds.

Noticing the Numbers: Balance is the key thus far for the Vulcans, with senior Siera Green leading the squad with 3.23 kills per set (Hunter is next). In UHH's 6-2 offense, Basia Sauni averages 5.54 assists and freshman Sha Rae Niu adds 3.81. Green has 11 service aces and Mina Grant has nine, while Grant is the leader in digs with 4.85. Kiley Davis has 24 block assists and Ashton Jessee has 21.

Notes about the Knights: Academy of Art will come to Hilo with a 2-6 overall record and an 0-2 start in PacWest play. The Urban Knights have wins over San Francisco State and Humboldt State to their credit this year, but dropped their first two conference matches last weekend to Notre Dame de Namur (3-1) and Dominican (3-2) in a heart breaker. Keep an eye on the Urban Knights when serving, they are fourth in the PWC in aces per set (1.65). Lilika Teu had four against Notre Dame de Namur. Margaret Winkler is second in the conference in blocks per set (1.36) and is nearing the school record in that category. The Vulcans lead the all-time series versus AAU, 9-3, but the Urban Knights won last year's match-up in San Francisco, 3-0.

Sunbird Sentences: Fresno Pacific will play Chaminade on Friday before arriving in Hilo for Saturday's match. They will go to Oahu with a 2-8 overall mark and a 1-1 record in the PacWest. They split their conference openers, defeating Dominican (3-1) and losing to Azusa Pacific (3-0). FPU's record is a bit deceiving, considering that three of their losses were in five sets--to Seattle Pacific, Western Oregon and Cal State East Bay. The Sunbirds are balanced in the stat column, led by Karah Mitchell's 3.27 kills per set. Sierra LeBeau leads in digs (3.44) and Kylei Dewar has six solo blocks. Fresno Pacific is coached by FPU and NAIA Hall of Famer Tracy Ainger-Schulte, in her second season. FPU leads the all-time series versus the Vulcans (7-5), but UHH won last year's match in Hilo, 3-0. 

Looking Ahead: The Vulcans will continue their homestand next weekend, hosting PacWest newcomer Biola on Friday (Sept. 29) and Point Loma on Saturday (Sept. 30). The match against the Eagles is set for 7 p.m., while contest versus the Sea Lions will be an afternoon clash at 2 p.m.

The Coach: New Vulcan leader Gene Krieger became just the sixth volleyball coach in the program's storied history when he signed his contract last March. The veteran coach has a history of success at the NAIA and NCAA Division II level, having led squads to championship seasons at California Baptist, Cal Poly Pomona, Westmont, Western Oregon and Warner Pacific. He now sports a collegiate career mark of 370-215. Most recently, he led two D-II programs to significant turnarounds at Northwestern Oklahoma State and Anderson (South Carolina). 

Krieger Quotes: "It will be good to finally play at home. We have been looking forward to this for a long time. Our team understands that our gym is a special place with a wealth of great history. We are hopeful that the community and students will come out and create an atmosphere that truly makes it a home court advantage."