Like a basketball player who cannot miss, Hawaii junior Miliana Sylvester was in the zone at the net last week at Wyoming.
Sylvester earned Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors by recording 22 blocks in two matches, including a career-high 13 in a five-set victory on Oct. 15 that marked UH’s highest block total by a player since 2011.
The 6-foot-1 middle blocker, who has stepped up in every aspect of her game this season, leads the conference in total blocks (93) and blocks per set (1.31).
Closing in on 300 blocks for her career, Sylvester credited the coaching staff for her sheer dominance at the net in Wyoming.
“I think it’s definitely just a testament to our coaching staff in the scout that we put out, so having a play call in every single play that we are in defensively, I think it makes it really easy for us to read their offense,” Sylvester said Tuesday. “We just play the percentages, right? So whatever we think they are going to do, we’re going to run something, and when they happen to hit their tendency, I’m going to be there.”
The Rainbow Wahine (16-3, 8-0) have opened up a three-match lead in conference play entering this weekend’s series against UNLV at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Friday’s match marks the midway point of the season with the conference tournament looming in just over a month in Las Vegas.
Eight of the 10 teams in conference are within two games of second place, with four teams qualifying for the Nov. 24-25 tournament.
The Rebels (8-11, 4-4), who are one of those teams, have won their past three home matches but are 2-7 in their past nine matches away from home.
Head coach Maila Shoji, in her fourth year, is the niece of longtime Hawaii coach Dave Shoji.
The Rebels, who have two players on their roster from Hawaii, scored their first win over UH in program history in nine tries two years ago at Cox Pavilion, which hosts the MWC tournament this year. It was the first road match Sylvester played in at UH and the first time setter Adrianna Arquette played in a match for Hawaii.
“We need the crowd,” Hawaii coach Joshua Walker said. “That’s the difference of us being at home and us being on the road. Our crowd really gives us some wind in our sails, and anything we can have to help get us through this match would be big because after this match we will be halfway through conference and we want to be in position where we control our own destiny.”
Sylvester hit .636 with 15 kills in that 2024 match in Las Vegas but had only one block.
“It was a great game,” Sylvester recalled. “Their gym was super electrifying and fun to play in, and it’ll be cool to have it here this week.”
Hawaii, which has won 15 of its past 16 overall, jumped 10 spots to No. 29 in this week’s NCAA RPI rankings.
UH has tied its best 19-game start at 16-3 since 2019 and was last 8-0 in conference play in 2021.
It is holding opponents to a .133 hitting percentage, which is up to third best in the country.
Hawaii outside hitter Tali Hakas, who announced earlier this week she won’t return for her final season of eligibility next year, was also on the court for that Rebels match two years ago and had 10 kills.
“Honestly I can’t wait to be home and with our crowd,” Hakas said. “It’s just great to be here playing at home with our people and it’s different.
“Knowing that now every game counts and it’s this countdown kind of thing, it makes this even more special.”
First serve is 7 p.m. for both nights. Hawaii has won nine consecutive matches at home and dropped only four sets.