HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team got back on the winning track Thursday with a 25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 25-18 win over Concordia Irvine at McCabe Gym.
Alana Handy (Burlington, Wash./Bethune-Cookman Univ./Burlington-Edison) powered down a match-high 17 kills for the Silverswords who improved to 14-4 overall. With an 8-4 mark just past the midway point of the Pacific West Conference season, they kept within striking distance of first-place Azusa Pacific (10-1 PacWest).
Rachel Reedy (Temple City, Calif./Arcadia) added 12 kills with a .524 hitting percentage and four total blocks to help Chaminade defeat the Eagles for the first time since September 2015 and snap a five-match losing streak to the Eagles.
Emma Tecklenburg (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) put down nine kills with three service aces while
Claire Zanon (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit) had eight kills and 10 digs.
Terezie Cernosek (Santa Clarita, Calif./Valencia) returned after missing Tuesday's loss to Biola due to an illness and put down six kills with three blocks.
Skyler Curry (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake) led with 22 assists while
Danielle Wiley (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) had her first double-double of the season with 18 assists and a season-high 11 digs. Handy and
Nina Torio (Mililani, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) each added nine digs.
Brooke Bell (Escondido, Calif./North Idaho College/Calvin Christian) had five blocks for the 'Swords who re-established the front row defense with eight total team blocks, their most since racking up nine in a win at Point Loma on Sept. 19.
The Eagles (7-13, 6-6 PacWest) were held to a .095 attack percentage on the night. Jaclyn Brown led CUI with 10 kills.
Chaminade took the opening frame thanks to a set-ending 9-1 run in which they forced five Eagles hitting errors during that stretch.
After dropping the second set which tied the match at 1, the pivotal third set went to the 'Swords, holding the visitors to a .088 attack percentage. Tecklenburg had all three of her aces during the set, two on consecutive serves late in frame.
The Silverswords then applied the knockout blow in the fourth set, hitting .391 while forcing Concordia to a -.107 percentage. Reedy and Cernosek combined for six blocks which helped the 'Swords amass four of their total team blocks. Tecklenburg, Handy and Reedy also had three kills apiece in the final set.
The 'Swords hit .272 in the match and put down 55 kills to Concordia's 37. They also owned the stat sheet in assists (52-34) and digs (57-42) although the Eagles had 10 total team blocks and one more ace (9-8).
Chaminade now embarks on a six-match swing away from McCabe Gym. They face intercity rival Hawai'i Pacific University on Sunday at St. Andrew's Priory School's James Castle Gymnasium in a match that counts in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge standings. The Silverswords then leave for five matches in the Northern California area beginning Oct. 20 at Academy of Art.
