HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team was looking to make more history Saturday. They nearly did but Hawai'i-Hilo had other plans.
The Silverswords spotted the first two sets to the Vulcans, rallied back to force a decisive set before falling in the fifth as UH-Hilo handed Chaminade its first home and Pacific West Conference loss, 25-19, 26-24, 18-25, 20-25, 15-12, Saturday at McCabe Gym.
The Silverswords (10-2 overall, 3-1 PacWest) were looking add onto what was already their best start in program history as well as inching closer to its best-ever PacWest start (5-0 in 1996).
Instead, the Vulcans (4-2, 2-1) got 23 kills from Marley Strand-Nicolaisen and 16 from Morgan Lees to pull off the win.
Chaminade was led by
Keani Passi, who slammed down a career-high 21 kills along with an also career-best 22 digs as the 'Swords lost at home for the first time in nine matches.
Kim Spring contributed with 12 kills while
Suncica Bakic,
Cassie Rushlow and
Daisia LaBrie each had five.
Brenda Walker had a season-high 26 digs for Chaminade while
Natashya Enos dished out 24 assists with
Skyler Curry adding 20 and eight digs.
The Vulcans out-blocked the Silverswords 11-9 but after the first two sets had a 7-0 lead in total team blocks. Both teams hit .148 on the night. But the 'Swords hurt themselves with 44 combined attack and service errors.
Down 0-2 and holding a precarious 13-12 lead in the third set, the 'Swords scored four straight including back-to-back aces from
Kasse-Ann Kiriu-Dela Cruz to take a 17-12 lead. After Hilo closed to 20-18, the 'Swords slammed the door shut as
Reigna Johnson put down two kills and assisted with Rushlow on a block to stave elimination and end the set on a 5-0 run.
In the fourth, things looked bleak as UHH opened up a 10-6 lead but Chaminade got three Spring kills and consecutive service aces from Enos as a part of a 13-3 run to help send the match to a fifth set.
But in the decisive set, the Vulcans never trailed, leading by as many as four at 12-8. The 'Swords tried to rally, closing to within two points but the team's 13
th service error of the night ended the match.
The loss dropped Chaminade from the top of the conference standings and into a tie in fourth with California Baptist. The match was also the first Chaminade athletic contest of the new PacWest Hawai'i Challenge which was announced earlier in September.
The Silverswords will look to right the ship as they embark on a four-match road trip starting Wednesday at BYU-Hawai'i and will be televised live on BYU-TV. The Silverswords have dropped 10 straight matches to the Seasiders and have lost their last 13 in Laie with their last win at the Cannon Activities Center coming on November 2004.
