Box Score HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team opened the 2014 regular season with a bang Thursday, sweeping Daemen College of New York, 25-8, 25-21, 25-22, in the East-West Challenge in front of a crowd of 120 at McCabe Gym.
It marked the third time in four years the Silverswords have won their regular season opener.
Sophomore right-side hitter
Cassie Rushlow led the Silverswords (1-0) with 15 kills, pacing a .348 hitting percentage by the home team on the evening. The 'Swords also held the Wildcats (0-2) to a .132 attack percentage.
Junior middle blocker
Reigna Johnson added eight kills on nine swings for an .889 hitting percentage while junior outside hitter
Suncica Bakic made her Chaminade debut with seven kills. Another CUH newcomer, freshman outside hitter
Kira Long, added six kills.
Daemen was led by Lindsay Nowak and Amber Drzymala, who had eight kills each.
The Silverswords got to a quick start in Set 1, hitting a blistering .542 behind eight kills from Rushlow while holding the Wildcats to a minus-.125 hitting percentage. The eight points surrendered by the 'Swords is the fewest in a single set since allowing seven points to Alderson-Broaddus on September 1, 2006.
Chaminade trailed briefly in the second set then went on an 11-4 run to eventually pull away late in the stanza.
But Daemen, which completed its first match of the day in a straight set loss to Florida Tech just one hour prior to first serve against Chaminade, found its second wind and led through most of the Set 3, grabbing a 20-16 lead. But the 'Swords would force three Wildcat attacking errors, taking their first lead of the set at 22-21, prompting a Daemen timeout. A Drzymala kill would tie it at 22 before the Silverswords put the match away with a Johnson kill and two Rushlow attacks.
The Silverswords return to action in the East-West Challenge on Friday when they host Florida Tech at McCabe Gym with first serve set for 7 p.m. Audio streaming of the match will be carried at GoSwords.com.
