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 women’s basketball: Top 2 Big West seed still in play for Rainbow Wahine

By Brian McInnis on February 27, 2020

Last Saturday’s 65-48 home loss to league leader UC Davis was a setback for the Hawaii women’s basketball team, make no mistake. It snapped UH’s six-game winning streak and all but ensured Davis will be the No. 1 seed at next month’s Big West tournament. That said, the Rainbow Wahine (14-11, 8-4 Big West) still have the opportunity to do something meaningful in their remaining four games. UH has sole possession of second place entering tonight’s matchup (5 p.m. HST) […]

Hawaii men’s volleyball: Guilherme Voss, Rainbow Warriors throw block party against Nittaidai

By Brian McInnis on February 27, 2020

The size differential was as vast as the swath of Pacific Ocean that separated the campuses of the two schools on the Stan Sheriff Center floor on Wednesday night. Hawaii and Nittaidai of Tokyo, Japan, came together to engage in an entertaining contrast of men’s volleyball styles in the first of two exhibitions this week. >> PHOTO GALLERY: HAWAII VS. NITTAIDAI Nittaidai, which featured players mostly hovering in the 5-foot-11 to 6-2 range (a couple topped out at 6-6 and […]

Hawaii softball: Rainbow Wahine seek Power 5 win

By Brian McInnis on February 26, 2020

A topsy-turvy start to the season for Hawaii softball has featured some impressive hitting and hit-or-miss pitching. One thing that the Rainbow Wahine (8-8) have lacked thus far? A signature win over a power conference opponent. The Wahine are 0-3 against Power Five teams — they lost to Iowa State twice (8-4 and 7-2) in the Paradise Classic and Iowa (2-1) in the Hawaii Invitational. Of those, they were in two of them; they gave up seven runs in the top […]

Hawaii athletics: Ups and downs of a busy Saturday

By Brian McInnis on February 23, 2020

A lot happened in the realm of University of Hawaii athletics on Saturday, the 22nd of February. Some of it was excellent, some so-so, and some UH fans would probably sooner forget. Just about every spring sport was in action in form or fashion, with the notable exception being the No. 1 UH men’s volleyball team, which had a bye week. UH tennis also did not play Saturday. The singular greatest achievements were had by the men’s and women’s swimming […]

Hawaii beach volleyball: 7 indoor players attempt to find their sand legs

By Brian McInnis on February 21, 2020

Sailors have sea legs. Beach volleyball players? “One thing we talk about is getting your sand legs,” Hawaii beach coach Jeff Hall said of when an indoor volleyball player makes the spring transition to the uneven playing surface. “Coming from indoor, they go to jump out here, and they don’t get out of the sand. Or they’ll lateral jump instead of jumping straight up and down.” Seven UH indoor players — Brooke Van Sickle, Jolie Rasmussen, Hanna Hellvig, Norene Iosia, Janelle […]

Hawaii men’s basketball: Rainbow Warriors seek streak-buster

By Brian McInnis on February 20, 2020

Will it be tonight? That’s what the Hawaii men’s basketball team has to be asking itself heading into Thursday night’s nationally televised battle with similarly skidding UC Riverside at SRC Arena. Or — perhaps the Rainbow Warriors are telling themselves something to the effect of “it will be tonight.” UPDATE: UH got its streak-buster in dramatic fashion, beating UC Riverside 56-55 after squandering a 17-point second-half lead. The Rainbows’ four-game losing streak has hung over them like a storm cloud […]

Hawaii men’s basketball: Bob Nash puts long journey into perspective on jersey retirement night

By Brian McInnis on February 16, 2020

There was an arena full of people to thank. Bob Nash did his best to get to everyone. “I’ve been blessed. My family’s been blessed. And I really appreciate you,” he told the nearly 6,000 in house as he became the first Hawaii men’s basketball player to have his jersey officially retired at halftime of Saturday night’s contest against UC Irvine. “My wife (Domelynne), sadly she’s not here to see this moment, but I know she’s smiling down on us. […]

Hawaii women’s basketball: Rainbow Wahine alumna Michelle Gabriel in spotlight of Maryknoll School decision

By Brian McInnis on February 13, 2020

Former Hawaii women’s basketball player Michelle Gabriel is in the news for a recent decision by Maryknoll School, her alma mater and now-former employer. Maryknoll decided to release Gabriel, a 1999 Spartans graduate who went on to play for UH’s Vince Goo (1999-2003), from her position as director of its middle school in late January because she was eight months pregnant and unmarried. A rally of support for Gabriel, who was also a P.E. teacher, was held Wednesday outside of […]

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