McLachlin makes his way back to Hawaii to oppose friendly foe

Spencer McLachlin is returning to Hawaii to face off against his former protégé, Joshua Walker, in tonight's final game of the Outrigger Invitational. Both coaches are first-year head coaches of women's volleyball teams, and their career paths have closely aligned. McLachlin, now coaching at UC San Diego, and Walker, leading Rainbow Wahine, were both once Division I head coaches.

McLachlin's UC San Diego team has struggled in Hawaii this year, going 0-2, while Walker's team has already clinched the tournament title and aims for an undefeated season. Their professional careers also overlapped, as they played together in a Greek professional league and again in Hawaii. McLachlin, who attended Stanford, and Walker, who played at Hawaii, share a deep respect for each other's work ethic and coaching abilities.

Their competitive history was not limited to college; they also faced each other professionally in Greece. McLachlin, who spent time playing beach volleyball and assisting at Cal, took the head coaching role at UC San Diego after Robyn Ah Mow stepped down. Walker, who spent time at Baylor, saw the opportunity to return to Hawaii and follow in McLachlin's footsteps.

The Tritons, under McLachlin's leadership, finished last season 6-24 and 4-14 in the Big West, with a notable loss to Hawaii. McLachlin believes that the program is at an all-time high excitement-wise, with five freshmen, five transfers, and the retention of star player Molly McCluskey, who led the Big West in total points and total kills last season.