The University of Hawai’i women’s water polo team has released its 2026 season schedule, featuring 19 games, including three early-season tournaments and five home matches. The announcement follows the team’s back-to-back Big West championships.
The Rainbow Wahine will begin their season from January 16 to 18 at the Fresno State Polopalooza in Fresno, California. This marks the third consecutive year the team participates in this tournament, where they will face San Jose State, California, and Michigan.
Following this opener, Hawai’i will compete in two additional tournaments on the road. The first is the Triton Invitational hosted by UC San Diego in La Jolla from January 30 to February 1. Afterward, they will play in the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UC Irvine from February 13 to 15. Matchups for these events have not yet been announced.
Big West conference play starts for Hawai’i with an away game against UC Irvine on February 27. The team then travels to Long Beach State on March 1 for a rematch of the last two Big West Championship finals.
Hawai’i’s home schedule begins March 7 with a match against UC San Diego at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex. The team then heads to Northern California for a conference game at UC Davis on March 13 and another matchup with Cal in Berkeley on March 15.
The regular season concludes with four consecutive home games starting March 18 against USC, who finished as NCAA runner-up in 2025. Conference games follow against CSUN (March 20) and UC Santa Barbara (March 28). An exhibition match versus Australia is scheduled for April 2 before Senior Night closes out the regular season against Cal State Fullerton on April 3.
The Big West Women’s Water Polo Championship takes place April 10-12 at Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center in Long Beach. The winner earns an automatic spot at the National Collegiate Women’s Water Polo Championship held April 24-26 at Canyonview Aquatic Center in La Jolla.
Second-year head coach James Robinson aims to continue building on last year’s achievements after being named Big West Coach of the Year and leading Hawai’i to a record of 22-5 along with both regular-season and tournament titles.
“We are excited about our upcoming schedule and look forward to competing against some of the top programs,” Robinson said. “Our team is focused on continuing our growth and representing Hawaiʻi at the highest level.”
