UH Hilo Women's Volleyball Seeks Community Support for 2026 Season

The University of Hawaiʻi System put out a call to Big Island supporters this week, urging the community to back the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo women's volleyball program as it prepares for the 2026 season under head coach Reed Sunahara.

The appeal, published March 9, framed community involvement as a key ingredient in the program's upcoming campaign. Sunahara, who leads the Vulcans' women's volleyball squad, stands at the center of efforts to build momentum heading into the season.

The University of Hawaiʻi System's outreach signals an organized push to strengthen the connection between the Hilo campus athletic program and its surrounding community on the Big Island. Attendance, fan engagement, and local support have long played a role in the fortunes of smaller collegiate athletic programs, where home-crowd energy and community buy-in can meaningfully shape a team's season experience.

For the UH Hilo program, the 2026 season now becomes an opportunity to translate that institutional call to action into tangible support from the neighborhoods, schools, and businesses that make up the Big Island.