This Week in Vulcan Volleyball
Record: 3-1

D2 West Region Showcase @Cal Poly Pomona, Kellogg Arena
Friday, Sept. 13 vs. Cal State Monterey Bay (2-1), Noon PT
Friday, Sept. 13 vs. Seattle Pacific (1-3), 5 p.m. PT
Saturday, Sept. 14 vs. No. 3 Western Washington (4-0), Noon PT
Saturday, Sept. 14 vs. Cal Poly Pomona (2-1), 5 p.m. PT
 
Rising to the Challenge on Oahu: UH Hilo opened the 2019 season by winning three of four matches at the Hawai`i Challenge over the weekend, hosted by Hawai`i Pacific and Chaminade. The Vulcans began the year with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Chico State and followed that up on the same day with a 3-0 win over Minot State. On Saturday morning, they fell to Sonooma State (3-0) but bounced back with a 3-1 triumph over West Virginia State to wrap up the first weekend of the year.
 
Showcasing Volleyball Talent: Next for the Vulcans is an even bigger challenge at the D2 West Region Showcase, hosted by Cal Poly Pomona. The weekend is full of teams in the three west region conferences squaring off against each other, with CCAA campuses as hosts, but this one in Pomona might be the toughest. The Vulcans will face defending west region champion and NCAA runner-up Western Washington on Saturday, along with the host and No. 20 preseason nationally ranked Broncos. Cal State Monterey Bay and Seattle Pacific are on the docket on Friday.
 
Chris quotes: ""This is the toughest preseason tournament that I have seen in my years here," Leonard confirmed. "I like a strong preseason schedule, it can better prepare us for the tough conference matches that we have."
 
Win No. 1: Vulcan head coach Chris Leonard has over 20 years of coaching experience at the club, high school and college level as an assistant, but his first-ever victory as a college head coach came on September 6, 2019—and it was ulcer producing. In the 3-2 win over Chico State, the Vulcans won the first two sets fairly quickly (25-13 and 25-15), and then gave up the next two (25-21 and 25-20). The Wildcats led 11-7 in the fifth set before the Vulcans scored eight of the next nine points to claim the win (15-12).
 
By the Numbers: As promised by Leonard in the preseason, the Vulcan offensive attack was balanced. Junior Bria Beale had a total of 42 kills to lead the way, including 18 in the Chico State win. Right behind her is Amber Tai (36), Emily Wade (28), Ashton Jessee (28) and Alexandria Parisian (27)…Freshman setter Kendall Kott had 45 assists in her collegiate debut against the Wildcats, and her 139 total assists (9.27) leads the PacWest after the first weekend of play…Junior middle blocker Ashton Jessee also leads the conference in total blocks with 17. Freshman Emily Wade has 12, including two solos…Senior Kaila Lizama is the UHH dig leader with 53 (3.53), followed by Alexandria Parisian (38).
 
Aces Wild: The Vulcans zipped in 32 service aces in the four matches, including 13 against Chico State. Seven different Vulcans have aces, led by Bria Beale's nine, Ashton Jessee's eight and Amber Tai's six.
 
Otters, Falcons, Vikings, and Broncos, Oh My: Four very tough matches await the Vulcans in southern California this Friday and Saturday. Cal State Monterey Bay is first up, coming into the match with a 2-1 record. The Otters opened their season in Portland, defeating Concordia (Ore.) in five sets and Western Oregon in four, but fell to Metro State (Colo.), 3-0. CSUMB received one first place vote in the CCAA preseason poll and are picked third in the North Division. The all-time series between the Vulcans and Otters is tied at 1-1. Seattle Pacific begins the year 1-3 after dropping three matches in San Diego to Concordia (Calif.), San Francisco State and host Point Loma, while picking up a win versus Cal State East Bay. The Falcons were 11-16 last year and are picked to finish sixth in the GNAC this season. UH Hilo leads the all-time series versus the Falcons at 9-6. Western Washington has always been one of the premier teams in the region and now, nationally as well. Currently ranked No. 3 in the AVCA national poll, the Vikings won the west region in 2018 (defeating Cal State San Bernardino) and advanced all the way to the national championship, falling in five sets to Tampa. They finished 30-4. They kicked off 2019 with four wins in Florida, including victories over No. 13 Wheeling and No. 24 West Florida. Senior All-American middle blocker Kayleigh Harper returns with 1,000+ career kills along with 2018 starters Alison Davenport and Mae Thungc. The Vulcans and Vikings last played in 1999, with WWU winning. Host Cal Poly Pomona is game number four of the tournament for the Vulcans. The Broncos were ranked No. 20 nationally in the preseason poll, and are in Others Receiving Votes this week. The Broncos are 2-1 in 2019 after opening the year in Portland, with the same results as the Otters—wins over Concordia and Western Oregon, and a loss to Metro State. The Broncos are picked to finish fifth in the CCAA South, and reached the CCAA tournament final a year ago, going 24-6. Cal Poly Pomona leads the all-time series against the Vulcans, 8-4.
 
Last Year: The Vulcans had their best season in a decade, going 21-7 overall and 17-5 in the Pacific West Conference, good for a tie for third with Chaminade. They just missed being selected for postseason play (Chaminade made it). Under head coach Gene Krieger, the Vulcans went from 9-18 in 2017 to 21-7 in 2018, a 12-win improvement.
 
PacWest Preseason: The Vulcans are picked to finish fifth in the Pacific West Conference Preseason poll, behind Azusa Pacific, Chaminade, Biola and Point Loma. Bria Beale was named to the All-Preseason team.
 
The Coach: Chris Leonard is UH Hilo's interim head coach for 2019, after five years as the teams' lead assistant and 20+ years as a local high school and club coach. He is a inductee of the Big Island Sports Hall of Fame, and is also the President and General Manager of New West Broadcasting Corporation. He has a coaching staff of six assistants, all with Hawaii volleyball ties—Emil Osorio (Waiakea HS and Pilipa`a), Tai Manu-Olevao (Rainbow Wahine, All-Big West), Poli Olevao-Kahapea (UH Hilo, A Mother's Prayer), Sienna Davis (UH Hilo all-time assist leader), Basia Sauni (two-year starter at UH Hilo) and Zoe Leonard (Kamehameha Hawai`i, All-Ivy League at Dartmouth).