HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team completed a grueling four-matches-in-34-hours weekend marathon by taking both their final two opponents in the Honolulu Invitational Saturday at McCabe Gym.
The Silverswords downed San Francisco State in their first match on Saturday in four sets then outlasted Alaska also in four.
Daisia LaBrie and
Kim Spring combined for 57 kills on Saturday and between them, hit .339 on the day.
Natashya Enos tallied 49 assists on Saturday to increase her career total to 923, moving her past Daniella Montoya (2012-13) and into an eighth-place tie with Michelle Norman (2003-04) on the school's all-time assist list.
Chaminade improved to 5-0 on the season, marking the third consecutive year they have accomplished that feat.
Match 1 vs. San Francisco State
Spring's 18 kills led the Silverswords in their 25-12, 25-23, 22-25, 25-18 win over the Gators in the first match of the day. Her total was two shy of tying her career high set in her freshman season. She also had an efficient attacking afternoon as her .516 percentage set a career best in matches of more than 15 swings.
Emma Tecklenburg added 11 kills while LaBrie had 10.
But it was the work at the service line that did plenty of damage. The 'Swords amassed 17 aces which was the fourth-most in school history with
Cassie Rushlow and
Waihilo Chartrand each accounting for six.
Meanwhile Enos' 26 assists gave her 900 in her career as she moved past Montoya into ninth place in school history.
The 'Swords used a 16-3 run to turn a close contest into a runaway in Set 1. But the scrappy Gators kept things much closer in the second set, forcing a 23-all tie. Spring's kill and
Hannah Baker's ace would put Chaminade up 2-0.
In the third set, SFSU used a 6-0 start to win its first set of the season. Then in the fourth, the momentum shifted back and forth with the set being tied five times. The 'Swords finally took the lead on Rushlow's kill and never looked back to win the set and match.
Chaminade hit for a season-high .336 percentage in the match including .438 in the final set.
Christine Johnson led San Francisco State (0-4) with 10 kills.
It was the first of two meetings against the Gators for the 'Swords. They will face each other again next Friday at SFSU.
Match 2 vs. Alaska
LaBrie put down a match-high 16 kills while Spring had 13 as the Silverswords got past a tough Nanook squad, 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-21. LaBrie added seven total blocks while Tecklenburg had eight kills and
Kiana Drumheller put down six.
Enos tallied a double-double with 23 assists and 11 digs while Baker tied her season-high with 17 assists.
Kasse-Ann Kiriu-Dela Cruz managed 15 digs in the match.
After winning the first set, the 'Swords fell behind in the second, trailing until the latter stages of the set. Down 18-17, Spring had two kills while Rushlow put down two of her three aces in the match to jump-start a 5-0 run which helped Chaminade pull away to go up 2-0.
But Alaska continued to battle back in the third frame. Despite surrendering a late lead and trailing 23-22, the Nanooks scored the final three points to force a fourth set.
In Set 4, UAF held an early lead before Chaminade got a spark from Tecklenburg and Drumheller who accounted for five points during a key 6-0 spurt midway through the set. Alaska managed to close to within a single point at 22-21 but
Terezie Cernosek's spike, a
Nina Torio ace and Tecklenburg's kill ended the match.
Despite committing 14 reception errors, the 'Swords outhit the Nanooks .200-.113 and out-blocked them 9-6.
Amberly Jeane led Alaska (1-2) with 13 kills.
Chaminade will be in the Bay Area for the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase in San Francisco next week and will face Cal State Los Angeles in Thursday's opener.
