A year older, UH middle blocker Mililana Sylvester has emerged as a leader

With half the roster about to experience a Hawaii women’s volleyball home match at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center for the first time tonight, it’s hard to predict how the Rainbow Wahine will look in their 2025 season debut.

It was only a year ago that Miliana Sylvester, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker, was wiping away the tears during a rendition of “Hawaii Pono‘i” before she was introduced as an opening night starter.

Back for her second season with the Rainbow Wahine, Sylvester fully understands the emotions that opening night brings heading into UH’s first match of the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic against Marquette.

With only three players on the roster who are entering a third season with the program, Sylvester, one of six sophomores on the team, has gone from wide-eyed f