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Box Score 2 SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team opened the PacWest/GNAC Crossover tournament Thursday with a split at the Conlon Center on the Dominican University of California campus.
The Silverswords began with a thrilling four-set win over Western Oregon, which pushed their record to 5-0, their best unbeaten start since 2005. They concluded the day with their first loss of the season in a four-set defeat against Montana State-Billings.
At 5-1, it matches the program's best start since 2007 when the team began the year 8-1.
Sophomore outside hitter
Madalene Barrett put down 29 combined kills on the day while sophomore right-side hitter
Cassie Rushlow had 28. Junior setter
Valentina Bevilacqua dished out 77 assists, including a career-high 43 against MSU-Billings.
The Silverswords continue the Crossover Friday at 1:30 p.m. PDT when they face Seattle Pacific. The team then makes the short drive to Oakland and face PacWest Conference foe Holy Names in a non-conference match at 7 p.m.
Chaminade 3, Western Oregon 1 (25-17, 25-18, 25-27, 29-27)The Silverswords got a match-high 16 kills from Barrett and 15 from Rushlow as the 'Swords improved to 5-0. Three other Chaminade attackers had six or more kills with
Reigna Johnson putting down nine, followed by
Kira Long with eight and
Ku`ulei Lynch with six. Lynch also accounted for five total blocks while Johnson tallied four.
Bevilacqua had 34 assists and 22 digs while freshman
Natashya Enos had 10 assists and 11 digs.
Western Oregon (1-4) was led by Cherene O'Hara's 12 kills.
The Silverswords held the Wolves to a .131 hitting percentage and forced 24 attack errors while out-attacking them in kills, 62-45, and out-blocking them, 9-8.
After winning the first set, Chaminade found itself down 8-3 early in the second then rallied by scoring seven of the next eight points as a bad set put the 'Swords ahead, 10-9. The Wolves forged a 11-all tie, but Lynch's kill put Chaminade ahead for good as the 'Swords went up 2-0.
In Set 3, Chaminade found itself down 20-16, but a pair of Barrett kills, a Johnson kill and service ace and freshman
Catherine Thomason's successful attack put the royal blue and white ahead, 21-20. WOU went ahead 24-23, but CUH forced an attack error and Rushlow's kill gave the 'Swords match point, but three consecutive hitting errors would give Western Oregon the set.
In the fourth, the Wolves threatened to force a decisive fifth set, going up 24-21. But the 'Swords staved off five set points with the help from a pair of Johnson kills and one each from Barrett, Johnson and
Kawai Oleole. A Thomason/Lynch block gave match point to Chaminade before a kill from WOU's Hannah Deede tied it at 27. Barrett then put down an attack to set up another "aloha ball" situation, then Bevilacqua ended it with a kill, giving the Silverswords the four-set victory.
Montana State-Billings 3, Chaminade 1 (25-22, 25-15, 24-26, 25-18)The Yellowjackets jumped out quickly against the Silverswords, opening up a 19-12 lead. Chaminade drew to within a single point at 20-19, but it was as close as it would get as MSUB took a one-set-to-none lead. The Silverswords were held to a .079 attacking percentage in the set.
After also falling in the second set, the 'Swords came out in the third and jumped out to a 10-4 lead, prompting a Montana State-Billings timeout. The strategy seemed to work as the Jackets tied it at 13. After the teams traded several points down the stretch, MSUB got two natural points to put them up 24-22. But Chaminade refused to fold as CUH scored the set's final four points with three Johnson kills and one from Barrett to extend the match.
The fourth set saw both teams trade side outs for a 10-all deadlock before the Jackets ran off six natural points, eventually pulling away in the end to finish the 'Swords' unbeaten streak.
Barrett put down a team-high 14 kills for the 'Swords while Johnson and Rushlow had 13. Bevilacqua tallied a career-high 43 assists while
Athena Maskarich had 13 digs.
Ashlyn Ward had a match-high 15 kills for the Yellowjackets, which hit .341 in the match, the highest allowed by the 'Swords this season. MSUB also out-blocked CUH, 11-4.
"We showed fatigue early in the second match of the day and we made too many errors to be able to make a comeback," Silverswords head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke said. "We started very strong and very confident against Western Oregon and it showed on the court.
"We saw a glimpse of what we think is going to be the new attitude of Chaminade."
