Box Score LAIE, O'ahu – Despite their best start since 2007, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team knows it still has a long way to go to become one of the elites in the Pacific West Conference.
The Silverswords opened PacWest action Thursday and were downed by No. 6 BYU-Hawai'i at the Cannon Activities Center, 25-15, 25-13, 25-16, the first time the 'Swords were swept this season.
Junior
Suncica Bakic and sophomore
Madalene Barrett led the Chaminade (7-4 overall, 0-1 PacWest) with nine kills each.
Stella Chen, who was picked to win her fourth consecutive PacWest Player of the Year award last month, led the Seasiders (4-3, 1-0) with 15 kills.
The first set saw an 8-7 Chaminade deficit quickly swell to 20-11 as the Seasiders rolled to take a 1-0 lead.
In Set 2, the 'Swords ran off four straight points on two kills each from Bakic and
Catherine Thomason to take a 7-5 lead. But a 12-0 run by BYUH put the set out of reach.
Down 0-2, the 'Swords weren't about to go down easily. A pair of Bakic kills, one from Barrett, a
Ka Ua Cale service ace and a Seasider hitting error were part of a 5-0 run that gave Chaminade a 14-11 lead, forcing a BYUH timeout. The Seasiders rallied but
Kaya Chong's two kills would help tie the score at 16. Unfortunately for the 'Swords, it was their final point of the match as BYUH ran off the final nine to end it.
Chaminade was held to a .074 hitting percentage, its lowest of the season, and for the first time this year, did not tally a block. Conversely, the Seasiders hit .356 and got six blocks.
Valentina Bevilacqua had 18 assists while
Waihilo Chartrand had 11 digs.
Natashya Enos had two of the team's three service aces.
The 'Swords will seek their first conference win Saturday as they travel to the Big Island to face Hawai'i-Hilo in a PacWest match. The Silverswords defeated the Vulcans in four sets earlier this season in the East-West Challenge at McCabe Gym.
