Five University of �鶹��ý at Hilo softball student-athletes have been named to the 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, recognizing their combined academic and athletic success.

The honorees are sophomore accounting major Mariah Antoque, senior business administration-management major Madi Lee, junior accounting major Keʻalohi Markham, sophomore-redshirt communication major Janessa Santos and senior business administration-finance major Lexie Tilton.

The CSC Academic All-District program honors student-athletes who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher while making significant contributions to their teams during the season.

For more information, visit the

Joshua Walker was announced as the fourth head coach of the on June 5 by University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa Athletics Director Matt Elliott. Walker, an All-American as a student-athlete and national championship-winning assistant coach for the Rainbow Warrior volleyball team, returns to his alma mater to take the helm of the women’s program.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Joshua Walker back to the University of �鶹��ý to lead our Rainbow Wahine volleyball program,” said Elliott. “Joshua embodies the very best of �鶹��ý volleyball tradition and knows firsthand what it takes to win at the highest level here. His deep roots in our community, combined with his proven championship pedigree as an athlete and coach, and passion for his alma mater, make him the perfect person to lead this program. This is a homecoming, and we couldn’t be more excited that Joshua, Tehane, and their beautiful ʻohana are coming back to the islands.”

Walker comes back to UH following a successful tenure at Baylor, where he joined the staff as an assistant coach in spring 2022 before being promoted to associate head coach in February 2023.

“I feel extremely blessed and thankful for this opportunity,” said Walker. “I’d like to thank Matt for all his diligence in making this happen, and (UH President) Wendy Hensel for her support. I’d also like to thank my wife, the rest of my family, and friends who have helped me be ready for this opportunity. �鶹��ý has been home for a while, but I love that it gets to be our workplace again. I’m excited to get going and will work to make this program truly one of a kind.”

During his time at Baylor, Walker played an integral role in steering the Bears to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, extending their streak to 10 consecutive tournaments by the 2025 season. In addition to his collegiate coaching success, Walker has gained valuable international experience serving as an assistant coach for USA Volleyball’s women’s team.

Walker is best known to �鶹��ý fans for his extensive and decorated history with the Rainbow Warrior men’s volleyball program in which he was both an All-American player and national assistant coach of the year selection.

As a student-athlete from 2006 to 2011, Walker was an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American and a two-time All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation standout. He was a consistent leader on the court, finishing his four-year career with 1,428 kills (3.91 kills per set), which ranks fifth in program history. He graduated from UH with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2011.

Following an impressive professional playing career with Team USA and overseas in the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Denmark, and Finland—where he earned MVP and All-Star honors—Walker returned to UH Mānoa in 2016 to begin his collegiate coaching career under head coach Charlie Wade.

During his seven seasons as an assistant coach for the UH Mānoa men’s program, Walker helped transform the team into a national powerhouse. He accumulated a stellar 149-36 record on staff and helped guide the Warriors to back-to-back NCAA national championships in 2021 and 2022. His coaching prowess was recognized nationally in 2019 when he became the first UH assistant to be named the AVCA Assistant Coach of the Year.

.

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo men’s golf team earned six All-Pacific West Conference selections following another championship season, with seniors Dylan Bercan and Ben Crinella also receiving Golf Coaches Association of America PING West All-Region honors.

The Vulcans captured their fourth consecutive PacWest Conference Championship in April in Las Vegas. Bercan successfully defended his individual title at 8-under par, becoming the first two-time conference champion in program history. He was also named PacWest Player of the Year.

Head coach Earl Tamiya earned PacWest Coach of the Year honors for the fourth straight season.

All-PacWest selections are based on year-end rankings. Joining Bercan on the conference teams were Crinella (First Team), Jacob Torres (Second Team), Dysen Park (Second Team), Katsuhiro Yamashita (Third Team) and Jordan Sato (Third Team).

Bercan and Crinella also earned PING West All-Region recognition after finishing among the top 20 individuals at the NCAA South Central/West Regional in Stockton, California.

For more information, visit the .

The University of �鶹��ý at Hilo has named Elliott Cribby as the next head coach of the Vulcan baseball program, Director of Athletics Patrick Guillen announced on June 3.

Cribby brings more than a decade of NCAA Division I coaching experience, having served in coaching and recruiting roles at Abilene Christian, Seattle, Purdue, Washington, Pacific and Central Washington. Most recently, he coached at Eastlake High School in Washington and led the DubSea Fish Sticks summer collegiate team.

“We are ecstatic to be adding someone of Elliott’s caliber to our program.” Guillen said. “He has played and coached at the highest levels of collegiate athletics and has a proven track record of player recruitment and development.”

Cribby said he is honored to join the UH Hilo ʻohana and looks forward to building on the program’s tradition of success.

Throughout his coaching career, Cribby has helped recruit and develop 58 Major League Baseball draft picks, including Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, Miami Marlins pitcher Janson Junk and Hawaiʻi native Aiva Arquette.

Cribby becomes the fourth head coach in program history and succeeds interim head coach Garett Yukumoto.

For more information, visit the UH .

The announced that it has selected Hawaii News Now (HNN) as its official broadcast partner. The four-year agreement, which begins July 1, 2026, marks a major shift in how fans across the islands will access UH Mānoa sports, moving the primary home for local broadcasts from a subscription-based cable model to free, statewide television distribution and expanding how and where fans can watch UH Mānoa sports.

The partnership returns UH Mānoa Athletics to its original broadcast home, K5, which served as the “Home Team” for UH Mānoa sports for nearly two decades beginning in 1994, will once again serve as the primary home for live games, original programming, and year-round coverage of the ‘Bows. The expanded distribution of K5 will make UH Mānoa sports more accessible than ever to fans across the islands.

K5 broadcasts will also be available nationally through the new Mountain West app, significantly expanding access to Rainbow Warrior and Rainbow Wahine athletics beyond �鶹��ý. More information on how to subscribe to this service will be forthcoming. In addition to HNN’s 110-game broadcast schedule, dozens of additional UH Mānoa events will be available through the app via productions led by UH Mānoa Athletics. HNN and UH will also explore opportunities to showcase select campus productions across HNN stations.

By leveraging HNN’s broad statewide reach across K5, KGMB (CBS) and KHNL (NBC/Telemundo), UH Mānoa Athletics will significantly expand access to its programs across �鶹��ý, nearly doubling the number of television households able to watch local broadcasts of the ‘Bows. Beyond the islands, Gray Media’s (HNN’s parent company) national footprint will create new opportunities to showcase UH Mānoa Athletics through special programming distributed to audiences across the country.

“This partnership is about maximizing exposure for our programs and ensuring every fan in �鶹��ý and beyond can watch our games,” said UH Mānoa Athletics Director Matt Elliott. “Over-the-air broadcast television is the ideal platform for the ‘Our Team, �鶹��ý‘s Team’ theme and will make it easier than ever for our community to connect with our student-athletes. This level of reach is vital for the growth of our brand and our future success.”

As the official broadcast partner of UH Mānoa Athletics, HNN has committed to broadcasting a minimum of 110 home sporting events per year, including all available football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and women’s volleyball games, plus broadcasts of baseball, softball and women’s soccer.

The agreement represents an estimated annual partnership value of approximately $7.5 million, reflecting a model designed to create broader long-term value for UH Mānoa Athletics rather than a traditional rights-fee model. The partnership includes expanded statewide access, significantly more televised events, year-round storytelling and promotion, student development opportunities, initiatives that support NIL community value for student-athletes, and shared revenue opportunities tied to campus productions and the Warrior FAST Channel.

For the entire story, visit the .

The 2026 Sheraton �鶹��ý Bowl will be played on Thursday, December 24, at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa campus. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. HST and the game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

The bowl game returns to Ching Complex for the fifth consecutive year while construction continues on the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District. Conference affiliations for the matchup will be announced at a later date, and tickets are expected to go on sale later this summer.

The announcement follows a memorable 2025 Sheraton �鶹��ý Bowl in which the UH Mānoa Rainbow Warriors rallied from a 21-point first-half deficit to defeat the California Golden Bears, 35-31. The victory matched the largest comeback in program history and was sealed by a game-winning touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining.

Last year’s game drew more than 15,000 fans to a sold-out Ching Complex and attracted 2.7 million viewers across ESPN platforms, making it the most-watched �鶹��ý Bowl since 2013.

The �鶹��ý Bowl was established in 2002 and has featured the Rainbow Warriors a record 10 times.

The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa’s “Our Team, �鶹��ý’s Team” trophy tour brought the NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship trophy to UH campuses and community locations across Oʻahu following the Rainbow Warriors’ national title victory earlier this month.

The tour began at UH Mānoa on May 20 with stops at Bachman Hall and �鶹��ý Hall, and on May 22 at the UH Mānoa Bookstore, giving students, faculty and staff opportunities to take photos with the trophy and celebrate the program’s third NCAA championship.

“It was really cool,” said Colleen Licudine, a UH Mānoa employee and Rainbow Warrior volleyball fan who saw the trophy at Bachman Hall. “A lot of UH pride. My dad went to school here too, and so basically my whole life I’ve been watching games from back when even Dave Shoji was coach. Seeing the men’s team rise up and be really successful in their program too, it’s been really, really nice.”

The trophy later visited Leeward Community College and UH West Oʻahu on May 27, and Windward CC, Kapiʻolani CC and Honolulu CC on May 28, as part of a systemwide effort to thank the UH community for its support throughout the volleyball season.

“It was so cool,” said Shanelle Bartlett, Kapiʻolani CC student and UH fan. “The trophy is a symbol of how much effort these boys have put in to bring a championship back to our community and to the Hawaiian Islands and I feel like people underestimate us because of where we’re from. But this is a symbol showing how we are really powerful even from a small community like this.”

“Hoʻomaikaʻi iā ʻoukou no ko kākou lanakila ʻana! (Congratulations on your win!),” said Windward CC Chancellor Ardis Eschenberg. “We’re so proud of the ‘Bows and their win for the NCAA championship. Congratulations!”

One of the attendees who made a stop at Kapiʻolani CC was former UH men’s volleyball player from the 1970s Dalwyn Wong.

“This is great. It’s really good to see,” Wong said. “The program has come a long way. I saw the last championship trophy and the games a few years ago. To see it again this year, oh man, a pretty good feeling. I’m proud of the program and proud of all the players and coaches.”

Other stops throughout the week included Honolulu Hale, �鶹��ý State Capitol, Hawaiian Airlines, Skyline, local businesses, corporate partners and community events across Oʻahu. Additional events across the state are being planned, including other UH campuses.

“It really is gratifying to see how much joy and pride people take into, not only men’s volleyball but all the accomplishments in the athletic department,” said Charlie Wade, UH Mānoa men’s volleyball head coach. “Getting a chance to share this beautiful piece of art that symbolizes something really significant accomplishment, it’s pretty cool.”

The Rainbow Warrior men’s volleyball team captured the NCAA Men’s National Collegiate Volleyball Championship on May 11 after defeating UC Irvine in four sets. The title marked the program’s third national championship and its first since back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

The trophy tour was organized by the UH Mānoa Athletics Department as a way to share the championship celebration with fans, students, faculty, staff and community supporters throughout �鶹��ý.

“Our team, �鶹��ý‘s team, isn’t a slogan. It’s what we’ve really bought into and we want people to know that this championship is for them too,” said Eric Mathews, UH Mānoa athletics director of marketing and fan experience. “This isn’t just something at Mānoa. This isn’t just something for the team. This is the entire community. This is for the entire state. It’s for the entire UH System that we have.”

The has unveiled its 2026 schedule, highlighted by a robust early-season slate that will see every regular-season match prior to Mountain West Conference play contested at Waipiʻo Peninsula Soccer Stadium.

Before making their historic debut in the Mountain West, the Rainbow Wahine will treat fans to seven regular-season home matches on Oʻahu. This pre-conference stretch is anchored by three consecutive tournaments hosted by UH: the OUTRIGGER Soccer Kickoff, the OUTRIGGER Invitational and the OUTRIGGER No Ka Oi.

The challenging nonconference schedule will bring several major programs to the islands. The regular season officially opens on August 13 against Texas Tech, followed by a matchup with Kansas State on August 16 to close out the opening weekend. The homestand continues when the Rainbow Wahine host Western Michigan on August 20 and Idaho on August 22 as part of the OUTRIGGER Invitational. UH Mānoa will then face local opponent �鶹��ý Pacific in a single match on August 29.

The nonconference tournament schedule wraps up in early September with the OUTRIGGER No Ka Oi, where UH Mānoa will take on New Mexico State on September 3 and Washington State on September 6. In addition to the regular-season slate, the Wahine will also play a pair of exhibition matches: an early-August tune-up against Seattle University in Pukalani, Maui, on August 9, and an alumni match on the campus grass field on September 19.

Following nonconference play, the Rainbow Wahine will hit the road to kick off their inaugural Mountain West campaign. UH Mānoa opens league play in Colorado, facing Colorado College on September 24 and Air Force on September 27. The team returns to Honolulu on October 7 to host Nevada for its first-ever Mountain West home match.

After hosting UTEP on October 11, the ‘Bows return to the road to take on San Jose State (October 15) and UC Davis (October 18) before a three-match homestand against Grand Canyon (October 24), UNLV (October 28) and New Mexico (November 1). UH then ends the regular season on the road at Wyoming on November 7.

University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa graduate student Emily Heintzelman is using lessons learned as a Division I beach volleyball student–athlete to shape her future in public health.

Originally from Sydney, Australia, Heintzelman is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree in the while completing her final collegiate athletic season. Her volleyball career has taken her around the world, including competitions in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, New Zealand and Germany.

“Being an athlete has taught me discipline, resilience, and how to work within a team,” said Heintzelman. “These skills don’t apply just to sports, but are also just as important when tackling complex public health challenges.”

Heintzelman earned her bachelor’s degree in in spring 2025, with minors in public health and health and wellness. She now specializes in Health Policy and Management, focusing on health equity, access to care.

From athletics to advocacy

“As an athlete, I’ve seen firsthand how access to care, communication within healthcare systems, and advocacy can impact outcomes,” she said. “Those experiences have reinforced my interest in pursuing policy work that improves access and ensures that individuals feel heard and supported within healthcare systems.”

In fall 2025, Heintzelman was one of only two student–athletes selected to represent UH at the American Volleyball Coaches Association Collegiate Beach Pairs National Championship.

“You’re not just playing for yourself—you’re representing your teammates, your coaches and the whole university,” she said.

Heintzelman hopes to use data and policy to expand healthcare access, particularly in womenʻs health.

“Being a student–athlete has taught me that success is rarely about individual performance, it’s about teamwork, communication, and showing up consistently, even when it’s hard,” she said. “In public health, those same principles apply. You’re working with diverse groups of people, often across disciplines, to solve complex problems. The ability to listen, adapt and stay committed to a shared goal is critical.”

Heintzelman said she is grateful for the support she has received along the way.

“My teammates have become like family, along with the coaches who have believed in me, my parents and sister who have supported me at each step along my journey, and for the opportunities sport has given me,” she said. “Volleyball has shaped who I am in so many ways, and I carry those lessons with me as I move forward into a career in public health.”

Seven University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa football games will air nationally this season, highlighted by six network broadcasts split evenly between The CW and FOX Networks as well as a season-opening matchup on the ACC Network (ACCN).

The Rainbow Warriors will kick off their national television slate on the road against Stanford on August 29, at 1 p.m. HST on ACCN. It will be the third season-opening matchup between the teams in the last four years.

UH will be featured on The CW three times during the 2026 season. The home national television slate kicks off against UNLV on September 5 at 4 p.m. HST. The Rainbow Warriors will also appear on The CW for their September 26 road game at Wyoming, 9 a.m. HST, and a November 14 home contest against North Dakota State, 6 p.m. HST.

Three games have been selected by FOX Networks. UH will host New Mexico on October 17 and the Rainbow Warriors will close out their national television road slate on FOX with trips to UTEP on November 7 and Nevada on November 21. Final network designations and kick times for the three FOX Networks games will be confirmed at a later date.

The Mountain West Football Championship Game on December 4 will also be nationally televised on FOX for the seventh consecutive season.

In addition to the national broadcast slate, four UH games have been selected for broadcast on MW+—the streaming platform for teams in the Mountain West Conference. Local broadcast information regarding those games as well as details for UH‘s road game at Arizona State on October 10 will be released at a future date.

2026 National broadcast schedule

• August 29 at Stanford—1 p.m. HST (ACCN)
• September 5 vs. UNLV—4 p.m. HST (The CW)
• September 26 at Wyoming—9 a.m. HST (The CW)
• October 17 vs. New Mexico—Time TBA (FOX Networks)
• November 7 at UTEP—Time TBA (FOX Networks)
• November 14 vs. North Dakota State—6 p.m. HST (The CW)
• November 21 at Nevada—Time TBA (FOX Networks)

2026 MW+ broadcast schedule

• September 12 vs. New Mexico State—TBA
• October 3 vs. San José State—TBA
• October 24 at NIU—TBA
• November 28 vs. Sacramento State—TBA

Five members of the earned recognition for excellence both on the field and in the classroom, earning 2026 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors.

Junior shortstop Milan Ah Yat, sophomore pitcher Taryn Irimata, junior infielder Jamie McGaughey, senior infielder Carys Murakami and senior pitcher Hannah Pitts were all recognized for combining strong academic achievement with standout athletic performances during the 2026 season. To qualify, student-athletes must maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative grade-point average while also meeting competition requirements.

The group helped lead the Rainbow Wahine to a successful season that included multiple all-conference and regional honors. Irimata was named Big West Pitcher of the Year after posting one of the league’s top pitching performances, while McGaughey paced the team offensively and earned all-region recognition. Ah Yat, Murakami and Pitts also played key leadership roles throughout the season.

Beyond athletics and academics, the student-athletes were also active in community service efforts across �鶹��ý and their hometowns. Their volunteer work included food distribution, environmental cleanups, youth sports coaching and support for local families and kūpuna.

McGaughey was also selected as a CSC Academic All-America finalist, advancing to the national ballot.

.

The had four student-athletes earn spots in the NCAA First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas, set for May 27–30.

Lilian Turban earned a bid in the high jump and javelin, Tara Wyllie secured a spot in the triple jump, Samaria Vital clinched a spot in the discus and Robyn Larkan is NCAA bound in the 100m hurdles.

It’s the fifth consecutive year that the Rainbow Wahine has sent multiple competitors to the NCAA First Round and the second straight year that at least four are bound for the preliminary round of the national meet.

Turban, the Big West runner-up and 2023 high jump All-American, is into the field in her signature event for the fourth time in her career with a season mark of 1.80m. She also qualified in the javelin for the second consecutive year, with a season-best mark of 48.12m.

Wyllie has qualified for the NCAA First Round triple jump for the third time in her career, taking a mark of 12.93m into the postseason. Vital earned her first career trip to the NCAA First Round in the discus, throwing 51.95m at the Big West Championship to vault up the regional rankings. School-record holder Larkan rounds out the group of Rainbow Wahine bound for nationals, taking her time of 13.44 seconds into the postseason.

.

Turban named Big West Championship Field Athlete of the Meet

For the second consecutive season, Turban took home Big West Championship Field Athlete of the Meet honors following her all-around strong performance at the conference championship meet, May 15–16. Turban totaled 16 points across three different field events to put up more than one-third of the UH Mānoa team total for the meet. The Rainbow Wahine placed eighth as a team with 47 points.

The senior turned in a runner-up finish in the high jump to put up eight points, clearing 1.78m (5-10). She matched champion Zharia Taylor of UC Irvine in clearance height but lost out to Taylor due to having three more failed attempts.

Turban added five points to the team total in the javelin, coming in fourth with a toss of 46.03m (151-0) on her third attempt. She also placed sixth in the shot put with a mark of 14.61m (47-11.25) to cap off her scoring for the meet with three points.

.

After claiming a third straight Big West title and NCAA tournament appearance, four members of the were named to the Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Division I All-America teams for the 2026 season, the organization announced May 21.

Sophomore attacker Agatha Weston earned ACWPC All-America Second-Team honors, while junior goalkeeper Daisy Logtens, sophomore attacker Ema Vernoux, and freshman utility Ariadna Temprano Xambó received All-America honorable mention recognition.

With this season’s selections, UH Mānoa has featured at least one All-American in all 29 seasons since the program’s inception in 1998. The Rainbow Wahine have produced at least four All-Americans in each of the last three seasons.

UH Mānoa finished 16-6 in head coach James Robinson’s second year at the helm, sweeping the Big West regular-season and tournament crowns for a third year in a row. The ‘Bows went undefeated in conference play and extended their winning streak against Big West competition to 29 consecutive victories dating back to 2024. UH Mānoa concluded its season at the National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship in La Jolla, California, securing three consecutive NCAA bids for the first time in program history.

For more on the awardees, .

Dylan Bercan closed with a two-under 70 to finish at five-under and place in a tie for 18th place at the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships at Boulder Creek Golf Club near Las Vegas on May 20. In newly released rankings on May 21, Bercan stands at No. 78 in the nation.

The senior from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada finished the three-round tournament with a five-under total—the best score posted by a Vulcan at a national championship—following Nick Mason’s four-under score in 2005 (runner up) and seven-over total in 2004 (4th place).

After back-to-back bogeys on holes 11 and 12 to go three-over in the final round, Bercan responded with an eagle on the par-five 13th hole, followed by three consecutive birdies to go two-under in the round. Bercan entered the day tied for 15th after shooting a four-under 68 in round 2 and a one-over 73 in round 1.

The back-to-back PacWest Conference champion qualified for the national tournament as an individual after tying for fourth at the South Central/West Regional, placing among the top two individuals not affiliated with a qualifying team.

.

The team knows its path for its inaugural season in the Mountain West as the conference released the 2026 league schedule May 20.

The Rainbow Wahine will open their first Mountain West campaign with a challenging two-game road trip in Colorado. UH Mānoa kicks off conference play on September 24, taking on Colorado College. The team will then travel to face Air Force on September 27, wrapping up the opening week of Mountain West action.

Following a bye during the second week of conference play, the Rainbow Wahine will treat fans to their first-ever Mountain West home matches in early October. The historic home opener is set for October 7 against Nevada. The inaugural homestand continues later that week as the Rainbow Wahine welcome UTEP to the islands on October 11.

Mid-October will see the team embark on another road trip, this time heading to California. UH Mānoa is scheduled to play at San José State on October 15, before visiting former Big West foe UC Davis on October 18. Returning home, the Rainbow Wahine will face off against Grand Canyon on October 24.

The regular season will conclude with a crucial stretch of matches, beginning with back-to-back home games. UH Mānoa will host UNLV on October 28, followed by its home finale against New Mexico on November 1. The Rainbow Wahine will travel for their final regular-season contest, taking on Wyoming on November 7.

The Mountain West Women’s Soccer Championship scheduled for the week of November 8. All of UH Mānoa’s women’s soccer conference matches will be available live on the new Mountain West subscription streaming platform.

UH Mānoa’s non-conference matchups will be released at a later date.

Five University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa tennis student-athletes earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors for their achievements in competition, academics and community service.

For the , seniors Allaire Berl and Sophie Rachor, along with sophomore Makeilah Nepomuceno, received recognition. On the men’s side, sophomore Adriano Dzhenev and senior Timothy Li earned honors for the .

To qualify, student-athletes must compete in at least 75% of their team’s scheduled matches. All Academic All-District honorees are eligible for consideration for the CSC Academic All-America teams, which will be announced in June.

Berl, an interdisciplinary studies major and UH Student-Athlete Advisory Committee president, earned Dean’s List honors throughout her UH Mānoa career and contributed extensively to community service initiatives. Rachor, pursuing a master’s degree in finance, also earned All-Big West doubles honors during her lone season at UH Mānoa. Nepomuceno, a travel industry management major, earned All-Big West honors in singles and doubles while posting one of the top GPAs on the women’s team.

For the Rainbow Warriors, Dzhenev earned All-Big West honorable mention recognition in doubles and was named Big West Player of the Week in April. Li, who is pursuing a master’s degree in natural resource environmental management, also earned All-Big West honorable mention honors in singles and contributed to several community-based environmental and agricultural projects across Oʻahu.

Visit UH Mānoa Athletics website for more on the and awardees.

Five players earned All-Big West honors, the conference announced May 19. Starting pitcher Isaiah Magdaleno and relief pitcher Tsubasa Tomii earned First Team All-Big West selections, while starter Hekili Robello was named to the Second Team, and position players Tate Shimao and Ben Zeigler-Namoa secured Honorable Mention recognition.

UH Mānoa’s representation reflects its elite pitching staff, which led the Big West and finished the regular season ranked third nationally with a 3.44 team ERA. Magdaleno, Tomii and Robello combined to account for 47.7% of the team’s innings pitched, while posting a 2.49 ERA over 206.0 innings of work.

Magdaleno firmly established himself as one of the best arms on the west coast, finishing the regular season ranked third nationally in hits allowed per nine innings and fourth in WHIP. A first-team All-Big West selection last year as a closer, he moved into the Friday night starter role and has thrived on the way to his dominant finishing stretch. Meanwhile, Tomii proved to be an invaluable weapon out of the bullpen, leading the team in appearances in his first year with the program.

Offensively, the Rainbow Warriors were paced by Shimao and Zeigler-Namoa, who provided clutch hitting and veteran leadership to earn Honorable Mention honors. UH Mānoa heated up significantly at the plate over the final month, batting .283 with runners in scoring position during conference games to consistently back up their elite pitching staff.

The Rainbow Warriors (27-22, 16-14 Big West) will open the Big West Championship on May 20 against Cal State Fullerton in a single-elimination game at 3 p.m. HST. With its late-season surge, UH Mānoa secured the No. 4 seed in the tournament, remaining the only program in the league to finish in the top five of the conference standings in each of the last five seasons.

.

Dane Watanabe received honorable mention honors on the Big West’s All-Conference team.

The junior from Kāneʻohe led the team with a 72.97 scoring average and wrapped up the season with a career-low 5-under 211 at the Big West Championship, where he finished in sixth place. During the championship, Watanabe carded a career-low round of 7-under 65 in the second round. Throughout the season, Watanabe shot nine rounds of par or better and posted two top 10 finishes.

This year marked the fourth consecutive year a Rainbow Warrior was named to the all-conference team along with Josh Hayashida (honorable mention) last season, Blaze Akana (first team) in 2023–24 and (honorable mention) in 2022–23.

junior right-hander Isaiah Magdaleno has been named Big West Pitcher of the Week for the third consecutive week.

Magdaleno captured the conference honor after delivering his second complete-game, one-hit shutout in his last three starts, propelling the Rainbow Warriors to a 4-0 victory over CSUN on May 13 at Les Murakami Stadium. The Los Angeles native overpowered the Matadors, striking out 14 batters without issuing a single walk to secure his seventh win of the season.

In his last three outings, Magdaleno owns a 0.35 ERA with 39 strikeouts to just two walks over 26.0 innings, giving up a run on six hits. He is the first pitcher in program history to throw multiple one-hit shutouts in a single season and the first pitcher nationally since 2017 to have at least two nine-inning, one-hit shutouts in a year.

This latest accolade highlights one of the most dominant three-game pitching stretches in program history. Magdaleno began this recent streak on May 1 with a historic 16-strikeout, one-hit complete-game shutout against UC Riverside. He followed that up on May 8 by holding UC Davis to just one run on four hits while striking out nine over eight innings.

Magdaleno is the first Big West pitcher since 2018 to earn the weekly honor three weeks in a row. It’s also the fourth time overall this year that he has been named conference pitcher of the week, the first to accomplish that since 2019.

Magdaleno and the Rainbow Warriors will head into the Big West postseason as the No. 4-seed in the tournament. UH Mānoa will play in a single-elimination game May 20, at 3 p.m. HST in Irvine, California.

Laura Beeman will remain with the University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa athletics department as associate athletics director for student-athlete success following her retirement as Rainbow Wahine basketball coach.

The appointment is expected to be presented to the UH Board of Regents on May 21. Athletic Director Matt Elliott praised Beeman’s leadership and said her more than 30 years of coaching experience made the move a natural fit for the department.

“I would like to thank President Hensel, the Board of Regents and Matt Elliott for this opportunity,” Beeman said. “I love the University of �鶹��ý. The people I have spent the last 14 years working with have become ʻohana. Continuing to work with the student-athletes, coaches and community is yet another dream come true.”

Beeman retired from coaching on March 30 after leading the Rainbow Wahine program for 14 seasons. In her new role, she will oversee student-athlete support services, including academic support, compliance, health and wellness, and professional development. She will also assist with coach development and community engagement initiatives.

During her tenure, Beeman guided the Rainbow Wahine to four Big West regular-season championships, three conference tournament titles and nine postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths. She finished with a 244-180 record and earned four Big West Coach of the Year honors.

Read more at .