HONOLULU – For the Chaminade University women's volleyball team, it was perhaps only fitting that their season's final match went the down to the wire.
Playing against the arch-nemesis and cross-town rival Hawai'i Pacific University, the Silverswords rallied from down 2-1 to topple the Sharks 25-14, 20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 15-13 Saturday at St. Andrew's Priory Gym.
Keani Passi ended her collegiate career by slamming down 17 kills while adding eight digs, a career-best seven total blocks and two service aces for the 'Swords.
Kim Spring added 10 kills while
Daisia LaBrie had nine kills and four blocks.
Reigna Johnson had nine total blocks, one shy of her career-high and eight kills to boot.
The Silverswords, who rallied from a 0-2 deficit against HPU earlier this season, swept the season series, marking the first time in well over a decade they defeated their rivals twice in a single season.
Chaminade ended the season with its second-highest win total in program history at 19-8 and 12-8 in the Pacific West Conference. It was also the 10
th match of the year that went to five sets with the Silverswords going 6-4 in such matches. Last year, CUH was only 2-7 in five-setters.
Elizabeth Culpepper led HPU (15-13, 11-9) with a match-high 19 kills while Pomai Recca had 11.
Chaminade roared out of the gates quickly in the first set, jumping out to a 9-1 lead and were never threatened as it seized a 1-0 lead. The 'Swords hit .529 in the frame while holding the Sharks to a .038 percentage.
But HPU, playing in front of its home fans on its Senior Night, bit back, with runs of 6-1 and 6-0 towards the ends of the second and third sets, respectively, to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Sharks got another late rally in Set 4, overcoming a deficit and seemed poised to win the match by taking a 23-22 lead. But the 'Swords tied it when Passi and Johnson pushed back Culpepper's spike then went ahead on
Skyler Curry's service ace to force set point. The Silverswords then sent the match to fifth when Passi and LaBrie blocked Culpepper.
In the decisive fifth set, the 'Swords opened up a 9-5 lead before the Sharks stormed back to tie it via a 4-0 run. Chaminade was the recipient of consecutive HPU service and setting errors followed by the fourth ace from
Kasse-Ann Kiriu-Dela Cruz which gave them a 13-10 lead. The Sharks then tied it at 13 with the help of two Kasey Thompson kills but Johnson got the serve back to the Silverswords with her kill to set up aloha ball. The 'Swords then ended the match when
Kira Long, making her first start of the year, slammed down the winner.
The ''Swords hit .185 to the Sharks' .161 and out-blocked them 13-10. Although kills were even at 52, the Silverswords had more assists (51-48), digs (69-64) and aces (8-7).
Chaminade got 27 assists and 11 digs from
Natashya Enos for her 11
th double-double of year.
Brenda Walker, playing her final career match, had 22 digs, giving her a single-season record of 481. She finished her career as the school's all-time career digs leader with 1,239. Meanwhile, Johnson also ended her career by setting the school career-record in total blocks with 300.
And Passi finished with 489 kills, a single-season record during the rally-scoring era. She finished the season second in the PacWest in kills at 4.29 per set. LaBrie ended the year as the conference's leader in hitting percentage at .359.
"We came out very strong and aggressive in Set 1," Silverswords head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke said. "We had some inconsistencies in the dropped sets but we found our rhythm and battled our way to the finish line.
"I'm so very proud of my team for leaving it all out there."
