Whether you know them as the Rainbows, the Rainbow Warriors or just the Warriors, I know I speak for many here on the islands when I say I love my Warriors. Growing up in Hawaii, watching the Warriors play was
Whether you know them as the Rainbows, the Rainbow Warriors or just the Warriors, I know I speak for many here on the islands when I say I love my Warriors.
Growing up in Hawaii, watching the Warriors play was a big part of my upbringing and one of the reasons I attended the University of Hawaii.
Volleyball, football or basketball, it really didn’t matter, if it was on, I was watching it.
Although, I can now safely admit that I hated watching Wheel of Fortune before switching over to Rainbow Wahine volleyball games (sorry mom and dad), I can also admit that it was well worth it.
Watching those girls play and handily beat those teams from the Mainland was always satisfying and the highlight of many nights.
While I myself could never come close to performing to the level of those wahine, you bet I lived and still live vicariously through them.
And the same thing could be said about our Warrior football team.
Though I didn’t witness the infamous 12-0 season in person while I was at the UH, I attended every game that I could in my four years there.
While more times than not I left the stadium disappointed, going to the game to support the team was always important to me.
The point that I am trying to make is that we have something special here in Hawaii. Our Warriors are our professional team. They link all of us together no matter what island we are from. Win or lose they are our voice, reassurement, and proof that we aren’t just a group of tiny islands in the middle of the Pacific that can’t make waves in sports.
That’s why I love my Warriors. That’s why I will continue to support them no matter their record or wherever I call home.
Now that I got the gushy stuff out of the way, it’s time to talk about the slate of games ahead for the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team and Warrior football team.
The Rainbow Wahine are once again off to a strong start this season at 8-1 and are currently ranked seventh in the nation. Highlighting their season so far has been their upset over No. 1 Texas back on Aug. 30 and Dave Shoji becoming the winningest college women’s volleyball coach with a win over Santa Clara on Sept. 6.
The Wahine will be getting their first taste of the road this week when they travel to Wichita, Kan., to participate in the Shocker Volleyball Classic. Their first game will be against South Dakota on Thursday at 3 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN 1420AM.
On Friday, the Wahine will take on Creighton at noon and will conclude the tournament Saturday when they face Wichita State at 2:30 p.m. Both games will also be broadcasted on ESPN 1420AM.
After a bye week last week, the Warrior football team is back in action Saturday when they take on the Nevada Wolfpack at 2:05 p.m. in Reno, Nev.
The Warriors are sitting at 0-2 on the season, with the two losses coming at the hands of the USC Trojans and Oregon State Beavers.
The Warriors have showed signs of improvement on defense over last year’s squad but are not catching any breaks with this year’s tough schedule. The Warriors will need to get their offense rolling in Reno and sits as 11-point underdogs.
Saturday’s game will be shown on Oceanic Pay-Per-View and will be broadcasted on ESPN 1420AM.
• Tyson Agbayani, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or tagbayani@thegardenisland.com.
