If the student section at UH volleyball games reveals anything, it’s that volleyball is a crowd favorite among the UHM student body.
With so many exciting sports and talented athletes on campus, why do other teams not get as strong of a turnout?
As the spring season rolls in for Hawaiʻi Athletics, students have been given a variety of sporting event options to attend. There’s men’s volleyball, beach volleyball, water polo, men’s and women’s tennis, softball, and baseball. An added bonus? They’re all played on campus. Men’s and women’s basketball also carries over into the new year for the first two months.
Perhaps it’s because football, baseball and volleyball are often regarded as the top sports in Hawaiʻi. For the rest of the nation, volleyball is not common in every state, and basketball usually takes its spot. However, only 58 percent of UHM's student population are Hawaiʻi residents. So, the question still stands, why do more students attend volleyball games than other sports?
Reputation may be one of the answers to this question. The UH men’s and women’s volleyball teams have been known for their strong play and consistent wins. This past season, the Rainbow Wāhine triumphed as the Big West Champions, beating Long Beach State 3-0 in the championship match. The Rainbow Warriors are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation and have played in four straight national championships, winning two in a row in the process.
Yet, it seems similar national success doesn’t necessarily translate to bringing students into seats. The Wāhine water polo team, for example, tied for No. 5 on the CWPA preseason poll after they went 21-6 overall last season and placed second in the Big West Championship. In addition, six former and current UH water polo players took part in the International Swimming Federation (FINA) Water Polo World Championship in Japan last year.
The women’s basketball team are reigning two-time Big West Champions, yet see considerably less attendance than the men’s basketball team, who haven’t won more than one postseason game in the Big West since 2016.
Despite the repeated success of many other UH teams, the atmosphere and sheer number of fans just can’t match the appeal of UH volleyball.
“It’s way louder and a lot more crowded at volleyball,” Hawaiʻi Athletics Assistant Photographer Shannon McGhee said.
As a photographer, McGhee goes to most of UH Athletics’ games and matches and is familiar with the fan turnouts at the events. Despite being from the mainland, McGhee was a fan of the team a couple of years before attending UH due to the team’s continuous success at the Big West and national levels.
UHM senior Trent Unebasami studying creative media was born and raised in Mililani and attended Kamehameha Schools. His family would frequently attend UH games for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s volleyball.
Unebasami started as a big football fan, having watched Hawaiʻi games at the Aloha Stadium as a child. In more recent years since attending UH, basketball and volleyball have caught his eye.
“I’d say the crowd engagement definitely brings people in the door,” Unebasami said.
When attending, students and fans have the chance to contribute to the atmosphere of the matches. Along with loud cheers, fans can partake in traditions such as calling out “roof” in unison after the ‘Bows block the other team’s hit, clapping with the stadium before serves, and standing and cheering for the infamous “Aloha Ball” at match point.
Along with crowd engagement comes a sense of community. Community has always been a large part of the culture in Hawaiʻi, and at the UH games, people can come together as one supportive front, no matter their roots.
UHM junior Brieanne Shiroma studying accounting was born and raised in Honolulu. Growing up, her family would also attend a lot of UH sporting events, including volleyball, baseball and basketball. She recalls seeing a lot of people she knew, who don’t usually watch sports, attend the volleyball games.
“We don’t have any professional sports teams in Hawaiʻi,” Shiroma said, “so all the UH games are kind of like the things to go and watch.”
Is it the success of the team that determines if students attend games? The crowd engagement? The strong sense of community? Perhaps, it’s a little bit of everything. There may not be a definite answer, but one thing is for sure: every UH team deserves a full student section to support them. Maybe the real question is, will you support them too?
