Honolulu, HI
For University of Hawai'i women’s volleyball head coach Joshua Walker, Saturday night was more than another match. Walker found himself across the net from his former team, No. 21 ranked Baylor Bears, where he spent four seasons on the coaching staff before returning home to lead the Rainbow Wahine in the 2026 Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball classic. The reunion ended with a hard fought battle, as Baylor escaped with a 5 set victory.
Before the match, Coach Walker presented Baylor head coach, Ryan McGuyre, with a koa wood knife as a gesture of appreciation for their years coaching together. Once the match began, the focus shifted to a competitive five set battle between the Rainbow Wahine and the nationally ranked Baylor Bears.
After dropping the first set for the bows, Hawai'i bounced back in the second set with a strong answer. behind a strong serving performance, Junior Setter Adrianna Arquette, sparked a nine point run from the service line while also recording two aces. sophomore outside hitter, Cha’lei Reid, added three kills. The run turned a 13-11 deficit into a 22-12 lead, helping the rainbow wahine even the match and letting the bears know that they were ready to battle.
Reid continued to carry the Rainbow Wahine offensively, finishing with 21 kills for her second career 20 kill performance while Middle blocker, Miliana Sylvester, recorded 10 kills and seven blocks, and also adding ot the stat sheet, Arquette recorded 45 assists and six blocks.
The third set became a battle at the net. After Baylor built an 18-14 lead, Hawai'i responded with three straight blocks and eventually tied the set at 22. A late stretch of three consecutive attack errors from the bows allowed Baylor to take a 2-1 lead.
The Rainbow Wahine answered again in the fourth. After maintaining a narrow lead late in the set, Baylor stayed alive following a service error from Hawai'i, but then committed a service error of their own, sending the match to a deciding fifth set.
The Bows opened the final set with the first two points, but Baylor quickly flipped the momentum with a 6-1 run. The Bears built an 11-5 lead and closed out the match, ending the rainbow wahine upset hopes. Although the Rainbow Wahine fell short, the match provided Walker with a memorable return to the program where he spent a significant part of his coaching career. It also showed Hawai'i ability to challenge a ranked Big 12 opponent and fight through momentum swings. The Rainbow Wahine will look to improve during their next three games at home in the Outrigger Invitational, where they will play against Utah Tech, Loyola Marymount, and UC San Diego.
Final Score: Baylor 3 - Hawai'i 2
25-17 I 14-25 I 25-22 I 23-25 I 15-9
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Pictures Taken by: Kennedy Velasco - @kennnchapo
