Hawaii Warrior World

Formerly about Rainbow Warriors basketball, but now covering all University of Hawaii sports.

About the blog host

Brian McInnis has covered sports on Oahu full time since 2007, when he joined the Honolulu Star-Bulletin staff as a general reporter. He was the UH basketball beat writer from the 2008-09 season through 2017-18. Follow him on twitter @Brian_McInnis

Latest news

Hawaii soccer: Wahine take crack at Pac-12 breakthrough at Waipio

By Brian McInnis on September 19, 2019

A return to action at the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Stadium means a renewed chance at a Pac-12 breakthrough at home for Hawaii. The Rainbow Wahine host two potent Pac-12 foes this week in the first UH matches at Waipio since the field was damaged over the summer due to chemical runoff. UH (2-4-1) faces No. 24 Washington State (5-1) at 7 p.m. today and No. 5 UCLA (5-1) at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. The Pac-12 has been a semi-regular, and often […]

Hawaii football: No ‘pointing fingers’ after Washington loss

By Brian McInnis on September 17, 2019

The Hawaii football team handled early-season success fairly well. How will the Rainbow Warriors handle a lopsided defeat? So far, pretty well, coach Nick Rolovich and players said on Tuesday, a few days removed from the 52-20 loss at Washington that knocked UH (2-1) from the ranks of college football’s unbeatens. “Great,” Rolovich said of his players’ response. “I don’t think they liked losing. I hate losing. They, the best thing is they didn’t start pointing fingers or blaming people. […]

Hawaii women’s volleyball: Wahine serve up a winner against UCLA

By Brian McInnis on September 14, 2019

Float serves that drifted like wounded ducks, line-drive serves that cleared the net by inches, topspin serves that arced violently to the Taraflex floor. And as often as anything else, serves flying right at UCLA’s big gun Mac May. >> HAWAII VS. UCLA PHOTO GALLERY It made for an effective potpourri, a winning brew, for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team in a 25-15, 25-22, 25-23 sweep of rival UCLA on Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. No. 18 UH […]

Hawaii Football Throwbacks: Washington

By Brian McInnis on September 14, 2019

What will it take for upstart Hawaii to pull off the upset of No. 23 Washington in Seattle today? All the Rainbow Warriors need to do is look at the blueprint of their forebears. In this week’s Hawaii Football Throwbacks, the Rainbows relive one of the signature road victories in program history, a 10-7 stunner of Washington and its 52,000 fans in the season opener on Sept. 15, 1973 at Husky Stadium. It was a period of transition for the […]

Hawaii women’s volleyball: Wahine depth tested without Rasmussen

By Brian McInnis on September 13, 2019

Depth was touted as one of the best attributes of the Hawaii women’s volleyball team in its success so far this season. That depth figures to be put to the test for the duration of the absence of junior hitter Jolie Rasmussen, who injured her right ankle in Thursday night’s four-set win over West Virginia. She was described by UH as “doubtful” to play the remainder of the weekend. >> HAWAII VS. UTAH VALLEY PHOTO GALLERY Friday night’s matchup with […]

Hawaii football: Kalen Hicks, Warriors prepare for Washington’s hostile environment

By Brian McInnis on September 13, 2019

As tough road environments go — crowd, ambiance, weather — Washington’s 70,000-seat Husky Stadium could rank up there with some of the most intimidating Hawaii has played in in recent seasons. The Pac-12 stadium on the shores of Lake Washington (where UH coach Nick Rolovich entertained thoughts of a pirate landing) is one of the more unique venues in college football. Count senior safety Kalen Hicks among the unintimidated. “Our mind-set can’t really change. It’s going to be a new environment […]

Hawaii men’s basketball: Isaac Fotu has FIBA World Cup to remember

By Brian McInnis on September 12, 2019

Whether it’s in college, the pro ranks or representing his country on one of international basketball’s biggest stages, Isaac Fotu’s game translates. The former Hawaii standout forward just completed competition for his native New Zealand in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China and was one of the Tall Blacks’ go-to players as they posted a 3-2 record, finishing 19th of 32 teams competing. Fotu ranked No. 10 among all players in the tournament in points per game (18.4), while […]

Hawaii soccer: UH falls on late goal at South Dakota State

By Brian McInnis on September 10, 2019

For the second time in three days, an allowed goal in the final minutes of a game sunk the Hawaii soccer team. UH battled South Dakota State to a standstill for nearly all of the finale of its three-game road trip. But the Jackrabbits of the Summit League got a second-effort rebound goal from Leah Manuleleua in the 85th minute to top the Rainbow Wahine 1-0 on Tuesday evening in Merillion, S.D. The Wahine (2-4-1) were shut out for the […]

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