Hilo Native Earns Big West Volleyball Weekly Honor

Hilo native Tai Manu-Olevao recorded a first on Monday, earning his first ever Big West Volleyball Player of the Week award for matches played last week.

Manu-Olevao was instrumental in Hawai’i’s 2-0 week, especially with the absence of star hitter Nikki Taylor. The 6-foot-0 senior tallied a total of 27 kills in back-to-back wins on Friday and Saturday against UC Davis and UC Irvine, respectively.

Against UC Davis, Manu-Olevao cracked 12 kills and hit .375 for the match. The following night, she put together 15 kills and a career-high seven blocks in a four-set victory over UC Irvine.

UC Santa Barbara’s Emilia Petrachi earned the other two Big West awards. She was named Freshman of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week in recognition of her performance during the Gauchos’ 2-0 week.