HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Women's Volleyball posted another 3-1 weekend with wins over Emmanuel, Saint Martin's and Western Colorado on Friday and Saturday on O'ahu as part of the Hawai'i Challenge co-hosted by HPU and Chaminade.
The Vulcans opened the weekend Friday morning at HPU's The Shark Tank and fell to Seattle Pacific in four sets (21-25, 18-25, 25-9, 20-25). Hawai'i Hilo hit .652 with just one error in the Set 3 rout of the Falcons but totaled 24 attack errors overall to just 10 by SPU.
In the Friday afternoon session at Chaminade's McCabe Gym, the Vulcans swept Emmanuel (25-22, 25-19, 25-16). Hawai'i Hilo held the Lions to a .082 hitting percentage and out-blocked them 11.0 to 4.0.
Back at McCabe Gym on Saturday morning, the Vulcans beat Saint Martin's in four (25-17, 21-25, 25-23, 25-12). Hawai'i Hilo held the Saints to a .095 hitting percentage.
In the Saturday afternoon finale, the Vulcans swept Western Colorado (25-16, 25-20, 25-18), pulling away with a six-point run in each set. Logan Blutreich posted a career-high 15 kills on .682 hitting.
Alohi Garcia was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 3.4 kills and 3.7 digs per set over the four matches — 48 kills and 52 digs across 14 sets — with three double-doubles.
The four matches closed non-conference play for Hawai'i Hilo, which now enters Pacific West Conference action next week at home against Chaminade (Sept. 12). The 2026 schedule returns to a home-and-home format against each of the other nine conference teams after an unbalanced 2025 slate that counted just 12 designated matches toward the conference standings.
GAME NOTES
- MATCH 1: Seattle Pacific 3, Hawai'i Hilo 1
- Total Attack Errors: Hawai'i Hilo 24, Seattle Pacific 10
- Total Blocks: Hawai'i Hilo 5.0, Seattle Pacific 10.0
- Set 3: Vulcans led the entire time and held the Falcons to just .154 hitting.
- Garcia: 17 kills, 13 digs, 1 ace
- Chase Koepke: 12 kills (.409), 1 ace, 1 block
- Kaliko Kealoha: 11 kills (.348), 2 blocks
- Blutreich: 10 kills (.304), 4 blocks
- 'Anolani Santos: 37 assists, 7 digs
- LC Nakagawa: 3 aces, 10 digs, 7 assists
- Seattle Pacific: 4-2 Overall (0-0 GNAC)
- Seattle, Washington
- Great Northwest Athletic Conference
- Conference Preseason Poll: No. 6
- MATCH 2: Hawai'i Hilo 3, Emmanuel 0
- Total Blocks: Hawai'i Hilo 11.0, Emmanuel 4.0
- Set 2: Tied 16-16, Hawai'i Hilo scored six of the next seven points to pull away.
- Kealoha: 7 kills (.500)
- Koepke: 7 kills, 2 aces, 4 blocks
- Blutreich: 6 kills (.429), 3 blocks
- Garcia: 6 kills, 13 digs, 4 blocks, 1 ace
- Emmanuel: 3-3 Overall (0-0 Conference Carolinas)
- Franklin Springs, Georgia
- Conference Carolinas
- Reigning Conference Carolinas Champion
- Conference Preseason Poll: No. 1
- MATCH 3: Hawai'i Hilo 3, Saint Martin's 1
- Total Kills: Hawai'i Hilo 57, Saint Martin's 36
- Total Blocks: Hawai'i Hilo 6.0, Saint Martin's 14.0
- Set 1: Leading 10-9, Hawai'i Hilo outscored Saint Martin's, 7-1, to pull away for the win.
- Set 3: Trailing 22-19, Hawai'i Hilo scored five in a row — kills by Kennedy Stevens, Garcia and Koepke — to flip the set and take the match lead.
- Koepke: 16 kills (.438)
- Garcia: 14 kills, 14 digs, 2 blocks, 1 ace
- Blutreich: 12 kills (.500), 3 blocks
- Kealoha: 4 kills, 3 blocks
- Santos: 41 assists, 5 digs
- Anae Asuncion: 10 digs, 3 aces, 5 assists
- Saint Martin's: 3-4 Overall (0-0 GNAC)
- Lacey, Washington
- Great Northwest Athletic Conference
- Conference Preseason Poll: No. 8
- MATCH 4: Hawai'i Hilo 3, Western Colorado 0
- Total Kills: Hawai'i Hilo 44, Western Colorado 32
- Set 2: Tied 17-17, Hawai'i Hilo scored six in a row on kills by Blutreich (two), Garcia and Sajal Glunz to pull away.
- Blutreich: Career-High 15 kills (.682), no attack errors, 5 blocks
- Garcia: 11 kills, 12 digs
- Koepke: 9 kills (.389), 2 aces, 3 blocks
- Santos: 37 assists, 7 digs
- Western Colorado: 4-4 Overall (0-0 RMAC)
- Gunnison, Colorado
- Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
- Conference Preseason Poll: No. 13
- Hawai'i Hilo: 8-3 Overall (0-0 PacWest)
- Conference Preseason Poll: No. 3
- The Hawai'i Challenge was co-hosted by Chaminade and HPU and ran Sept. 3-5. Participating teams: Chaminade (PacWest), Emmanuel (CC), Hawai'i Hilo (PacWest), HPU (PacWest), Saint Martin's (GNAC), Seattle Pacific (GNAC), Western Colorado (RMAC), Western Oregon (GNAC).
UP NEXT
- Saturday, Sept. 12 (6 PM) vs Chaminade (Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)
- Wednesday, Sept. 16 (3 PM HT / 6 PM PT) at Concordia (Irvine, California)
- Thursday, Sept. 17 (3 PM HT / 6 PM PT) at Vanguard (Costa Mesa, California)
- Saturday, Sept. 19 (12 PM HT / 3 PM PT) at Biola (La Mirada, California)
- Monday, Sept. 21 (3 PM HT / 6 PM PT) at No. 4 Point Loma (San Diego, California)
NATIONAL CHAMPS RETURNING TO HILO
The reigning NCAA Men's Volleyball National Champion UH Manoa Rainbow Warriors are returning to Hilo for another interisland intrasquad showcase set for Sunday, Sept. 27 following the Vulcans match with HPU at 2 p.m. inside the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Tickets available at HiloAthletics.com/TIX. More information available at HiloAthletics.com/MVB.
The Vulcan Booster Club is also hosting "A Night of Champions" dinner on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel with all proceeds benefiting Hawai'i Hilo Women's Volleyball. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and program will include remarks from both Vulcans and Rainbow Warriors coaches and athletes. Tickets available at HiloAthletics.com/NOC.
PACWEST PRESEASON POLL
Hawai'i Hilo was voted No. 3 in the 2026 PacWest Preseason Coaches Poll. The Vulcans finished the 2025 regular season tied at No. 3 in the conference standings. The four-team 2026 PacWest Championships postseason tournament will be hosted by Vanguard University on Nov. 13-14 in Costa Mesa, California.
PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS
Season and individual tickets for the Vulcans' 13 home matches at Vulcan Gymnasium are available for purchase at HiloAthletics.com/tickets. Season tickets are $150 for Preferred Seats ($100 for seniors 65+ and middle/high school students) and $100 for General Seats ($50 for seniors 65+ and middle/high school students).
BUY LIVESTREAM PACKAGE
Video livestreaming will be available for all home events this season through the PacWest Network, powered by Hudl TV. More information is available at HiloAthletics.com/livestream. Single-game passes for volleyball are offered at $15 and a season-package (12 matches) price of $120 (now $90).
