HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball return home for the first time in three weeks; however, the results remained the same.
The Silverswords, back at the friendly confines of McCabe Gymnasium on Wednesday, began an eight-match home stand by knocking off Biola, one of the Pacific West Conference contenders, in a 25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 25-16 victory.
Rachel Reedy (Temple City, Calif./Arcadia) put down a season-high 19 kills -- one shy of her career high -- and her first service ace of the year while
Emma Tecklenburg (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) added 14 to continue to move up the school's all-time career kills list in the 'Swords' first-ever win against the Eagles.
Biola had beaten the 'Swords in the previous three meetings since it moved up from the NAIA ranks in 2017.
Chaminade tied the school-record it set last year with its ninth consecutive win in improving to 14-2 overall and 8-0 in the PacWest, the best start in program history. Meanwhile Tecklenburg's performance gives her 1,107 kills, moving to fourth in the career list, passing
Kim Spring. She needs 105 to pass Trina Kauliakamoa (1,211) for third all-time.
Biola (7-8 overall, 4-3 PacWest), picked to finish third in the conference's preseason coaches poll, was led by Bekah Roth's 12 kills.
Claire Zanon (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit) added 10 kills while
Annah Rivera (Granada Hills, Calif./Bishop Alemany) and
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) each put down nine.
Freshman setter
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) made her first career start and dished out 22 assists as did
Natashya Enos (Kahalu'u, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Saint Francis) who, like Tecklenburg, rose up in the school's career lists. The senior, who returned after a two-year hiatus, moved past former teammate
Skyler Curry into fifth in the program's career assist column with 1,759 and trails Janeen Waialae who is fourth at 1,800.
Leka Kiner-Falefa (Honolulu/UNLV/Mid-Pacific Institute) managed 20 digs with nine assists while Zanon had 17 digs. Saulala led the 'Swords with three total blocks.
Chaminade had decisive advantages statistically in kills (63-40), assists (55-36), digs (67-57) and service aces (6-3).
To no one's surprise, there were 16 ties and six lead changes in the first set won by Chaminade. But in the second, the Silverswords got an early 9-1 run including six straight with a pair of Reedy kills along with an ace and kill on a dump shot by Enos to build a commanding 12-3 lead early on to take a 2-0 lead.
The Eagles battled back by taking the third set. In the fourth, Chaminade reversed a 9-8 deficit by going on a decisive 12-4 surge to win in a runaway and did not allow Biola to score a natural point until they were up 22-14.
Chaminade hit .268 in the match against the Eagles who had limited opponents to a .185 attack percentage entering the match. The 'Swords also limited Biola to .170 although the BU did out-block them, 7-4.
The Silverswords face Concordia Irvine, the PacWest's top blocking squad at 2.31 per set, on Sunday at McCabe Gymnasium with first serve set for 3 p.m.
