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The Hawaii women’s volleyball team went to some familiar places to restock its roster.
Among five player additions announced Wednesday for the 2025 season were three — UC San Diego setter Audrey Hollis, UC Santa Barbara hitter Lois Hansen and Cal State Fullerton defensive specialist Leilani Lopez — who transferred from fellow Big West institutions.
Eastern Washington middle Bri Gunderson comes in as a fourth Division I transfer. So far, the only high school product in the class is a local one: Kahuku star Cha’lei Reid.
Reid, a two-time member of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15, graduated early over the semester break and will join the others as part of the program this spring.
"I am very excited for these five student-athletes to join our program this spring," UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said in a UH news release. "Bri, Audrey, Lois and Leilani add experience, depth and maturity at their respective positions and they will compete the moment practices begin. Cha’lei comes in a semester early and will gain valuable experience this spring which will lay the foundation for her career here at Manoa.
"All five student-athletes will get a small taste of Wahine Volleyball in our spring matches this March and I can’t wait to see them add to the program’s culture that is set in place with the returners."
The 6-foot-3 Gunderson arrives as the most decorated of the group as an All-Big Sky first-team performer who was fifth in the country in blocks per set at 1.54, to go with 2.83 kills per set on .311 efficiency. She should compete for a starting job immediately and have one season to play after spending two at BYU and two at EWU.
Hollis, who could compete with rising sophomore Adrianna Arquette for the starting setter job, was named to the BWC All-Freshman team for UCSD after averaging 8.86 assists per set. The sophomore has three years of eligibility left.
Lopez, the daughter of former Wahine player Kristal Attwood (1990-93), could play alongside or behind Victoria Leyva in the back row. She posted 118 digs over two seasons at CSUF.
Hansen, a 6-3 redshirt sophomore, played in UCSB’s first 10 matches of the 2024 season and averaged 1.63 kills per set, topping out with 19 against San Diego.
The 6-foot Reid had 32 kills in two matches in the HHSAA Division I championship bracket last fall as the Red Raiders fell to top seed Iolani in the quarterfinals.
Among its starters, UH lost setter Kate Lang, libero Tayli Ikenaga, Big West Player of the Year Caylen Alexander and middle Jacyn Bamis after the 2024 team was swept by TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Lang and Ikenaga exhausted their eligibility while Alexander and Bamis entered the transfer portal along with backup setter Jackie Matias.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
