Box Score HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team got 11 kills each from junior outside hitter
Suncica Bakic and sophomore right-side hitter
Cassie Rushlow to lead the Silverswords past Florida Tech, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22, in the second night of the East-West Challenge Friday.
A crowd of 140 at McCabe Gym saw the 'Swords improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2007 when the team started 4-0.
Bakic, a transfer from Eastern Arizona College, added four digs and two service aces while sophomore middle blocker
Madalene Barrett put down six kills and a pair of block solos for Chaminade. Junior setter
Valentina Bevilacqua tallied 17 assists and six digs and freshman
Natashya Enos, who saw action at both libero and setter, had eight digs and seven assists.
The Panthers were led by Kim Juriga, who had 10 kills, followed by Milli Tapuskovic's eight.
Chaminade outhit Florida Tech, .247-.139, and dominated in the digs category, 45-28.
The 'Swords quickly found themselves down 7-3 in the opening set, but seniors
Ka Ua Cale and
Darcie Horiuchi were summoned from the bench and provided a spark. Cale had two assists and Horiuchi ran off five straight points from the service line as the Silverswords took a 10-9 advantage. FIT would regain the lead midway through the set, but successful spikes by sophomore middle blocker Ku'ulei Lynch, Barrett, Bakic and Rushlow would push the home team past Florida Tech to go up, 1-0.
In Set 2, the Panthers again jumped out to a lead and took a 19-15 advantage prompting a Chaminade timeout. The Silverswords then got six consecutive points with
Reigna Johnson at the service line, putting the 'Swords up, 21-19, before Florida Tech ended the run. CUH dug deep and, with kills from Rushlow and sophomore
Kawai Oleole, pulled away to win the second set.
It was much of the same in the third stanza as FIT scored the first three points before Chaminade surged back, taking the lead for good at 4-3 on Bakic's ace. With their backs to the wall late in the set, the Panthers, down 23-18, clawed back and drew to within two at 23-21, but a Florida Tech attack error and a service error ended the set and the match.
The Silverswords conclude the East-West Challenge on Saturday with a split doubleheader. Chaminade faces Daemen College at 11 a.m., a rematch of Thursday's contest won by the 'Swords, then matches up with Pacific West Conference foe Hawai'i-Hilo in a non-conference tilt at 7 p.m. Both matches will be at McCabe Gym. Streaming audio of the UH-Hilo match only will be available on GoSwords.com.
