HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team got back to a balanced attack Wednesday which led to a 25-23, 17-25, 25-19, 25-8 win over BYU-Hawai'i Wednesday at McCabe Gym.
Daisia LaBrie put down 10 kills while
Kim Spring,
Cassie Rushlow and
Emma Tecklenburg each had eight which helped the Silverswords snap a three-match losing streak.
Chaminade improved to 7-4 on the season and 1-1 in the Pacific West Conference.
The Seasiders (2-9, 0-2) were led by Leilani Adolpho's 11 kills.
LaBrie and Rushlow also each had five total blocks on the evening.
Natashya Enos dished out 22 assists, moving her past Tamara Kauliakamoa into seventh in the all-time Silversword assists list with 1,069.
Spring had 14 digs while
Waihilo Chartrand had 11.
The 'Swords' victory over the 10-time national champion Seasiders (eight NAIA and two NCAA Division II) was their second consecutive dating back to last season. It's only the third time in 33-year history of the rivalry – and the first since 2004 – that Chaminade has enjoyed back-to-back wins over BYUH which was making its final McCabe Gym appearance. The Seasiders are dropping intercollegiate athletics following this season.
The match had ominous beginnings for the Silverswords as the Seasiders led by as many as four points and held a 22-19 edge. But kills from Spring and Tecklenburg as well as a pair of 'Sider hitting errors put the 'Swords ahead at 24-23. Rushlow's successful spike ended the set to put Chaminade up 1-0.
After BYUH got a comfortable Set 2 win, the 'Swords again came out sluggish as four straight attack errors helped give the Seasiders an 11-6 lead. But Chartrand helped the home team rally, serving five straight points. It was part of a 13-2 run which included back-to-back aces from
Skyler Curry and two blocks from
Ku`ulei Lynch as the 'Swords went up 2-1.
In the fourth set, the Silverswords continued to wreak havoc at the service line. Like Curry,
Isabella Tessitore got back-to-back aces as Chaminade built a 6-1 advantage and allowed only one natural point to the Seasiders in the set as they cruised to the finish. The Silverswords hit .500 in the frame with nine kills with only one attack error on 16 swings while holding BYUH to a -.115 percentage (5-8-26).
The 'Swords out-hit the 'Siders, .155-.068 while holding close leads in kills (42-36), assists (40-33), digs (45-42) and aces (8-5). Both team had eight total team blocks.
Chaminade heads back out on the road for an important road trip to the PacWest's Southern California-Utah quadrant which is considered to be where the strength of the conference lies. The Silverswords open Monday at Point Loma, followed by Azusa Pacific, a 10-1 Concordia squad then wraps the trip up at defending PacWest champion Dixie State.
