HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team was looking to end their home schedule on a positive note. They did and then some.
Playing in their final home match of the year, the Silverswords ended six years of frustration to BYU-Hawai'i, sweeping the Seasiders 25-21, 25-17, 26-24 Friday at McCabe Gym.
Senior
Keani Passi, the two-time defending Pacific West Conference Player of the Week, put down a match-high 22 kills as Chaminade (18-9 overall, 11-8 PacWest) while hitting .487 on the evening in her final home contest. For Passi, it was her third straight match of 20 or more kills.
The win snapped a 12-match losing streak to the Seasiders dating back to Nov. 2009. It was also Chaminade's first sweep of BYUH since Nov. 2004 when current head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke was the team's outside hitter. The squad's 18 wins are also second-most in program history.
Libero
Brenda Walker had a match-best 14 digs while fellow senior
Suncica Bakic had five kills in their final home matches. The 'Swords other senior,
Reigna Johnson was unable to play due to an injury.
Leilani Adolpho led BYUH (14-13, 12-7) with nine kills, followed by Sinamoni Tonga's eight.
Both teams went tooth and nail in the first set. Tied at 11, Chaminade ripped out seven straight points paced by
Terezie Cernosek's two kills and block. BYUH closed to within three several times but Passi's kill created set point with Bakic ending the set with a kill. It was the first time that the Silverswords had taken a set off the Seasiders since Nov. 2012. BYUH had won 18 straight sets prior.
In Set 2, the 'Swords turned a close score into a rout. Leading 11-9, a 'Swords triple block of
Kim Spring,
Daisia LaBrie and
Cassie Rushlow paced an 8-1 run. Passi put down three attacks while
Kasse-Ann Kiriu-Dela Cruz delivered back-to-back aces as Chaminade cruised to a 2-0 lead.
But the Seasiders were not going to return to Laie quietly. BYUH rallied from down three late in the third set and eventually staved off aloha ball to send the frame to extra points at 24. However Passi put down her final kill of the night, then the 'Swords' second aloha ball, Cernosek's spike of an overpass found a space down the left sideline to give them the win.
Natashya Enos and
Skyler Curry combined for 36 assists for the 'Swords while Kiriu-Dela Cruz had three aces of the team's 10 aces.
Chaminade led in nearly every phase of the match, hitting .273 to BYUH's .147. They put down 42 kills to the Seasiders' 33, out-blocked them 7.5-5, had more assists 40-31 and out-dug them 40-35.
The victory also gave the 'Swords a valuable point in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge.
The Silverswords will end the season Saturday when they face intercity rival Hawai'i Pacific at St. Andrew's Priory.
