BELMONT, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team began their first Pacific West Conference road trip in heart-stopping fashion Thursday, erasing an 0-2 deficit to down Notre Dame de Namur, 22-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-12 at Walter Gleason Gym.
The Silverswords got career-highs in kills from both
Cassie Rushlow (16) and
Reigna Johnson (15) to help improve them to 9-6 overall, equaling last year's win total. The team also improved their conference record to 2-3.
Suncica Bakic added 10 kills while
Kira Long and
Madalene Barrett had nine and seven for the 'Swords, respectively.
Johnson also accounted for two block solos and five block assists with a pair of service aces while Rushlow had four block assists.
Valentina Bevilacqua recorded her fourth double-double (39 assists, 11 digs) along with two aces while
Athena Maskarich notched 29 digs with
Natashya Enos getting 11.
NDNU (0-12, 0-5) were led by Dominique Tarrant's 16 kills.
"We made more errors than we should have and had a difficult time finding our rhythm," Chaminade head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke said, referring to the team's season-high 33 hitting errors. "In the end, we did enough to win the match."
The 'Swords jumped out to an 18-15 lead in Set 1 before the Argos used a 7-1 run to help take the set.
In the second, Chaminade rallied from down 10-5 early, getting kills from
Ku`ulei Lynch, Barrett and Rushlow as well as a bad Argos' set to take a 14-13 lead. The 'Swords expanded their lead and had a seemingly insurmountable 23-18 advantage as they looked to tie the match. But NDNU had other ideas, scoring the set's last seven points – five coming on 'Sword errors – as the Argos won, 25-23, leaving the stunned Silverswords down 0-2.
Chaminade would answer in the third set, bolting out to a 19-12 lead. This time, the 'Swords would make the lead stand with the help of two Johnson kills and a block assist.
The outlook for the Silverswords looked bleak in the fourth, as they found themselves down 17-10. However, Chaminade roared back as Bakic got three kills with Long and Rushlow putting down two each during an 11-3 run, giving the 'Swords a 21-20 lead. The Argos would tie the set at 23, but an NDNU service error and Rushlow's kill forced a deciding fifth set.
The Argos led for much of the early stages of the fifth, but down 9-8, the 'Swords made a decisive 6-1 run, thanks to kills from Rushlow, Lynch, Barrett and Johnson, setting up aloha ball at 14-10. NDNU ran off two straight points to close to 14-12, but Rushlow slammed the door to complete the comeback.
Although the Argos won the blocking battle, 12.5-9, Chaminade led in kills (69-51), percentage (.195-.170), assists (67-46) and digs (87-72). The 'Swords, who entered the week ranked 18
th nationally in total service aces with 99, added eight on the evening while NDNU had four.
The Silverswords continue their Northern California road trip Friday and face Holy Names at 4 p.m. HST.
