LA MIRADA, Calif. – Needing a win in the worst possible way, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team got a solid team effort to end their recent rut.
Rachel Reedy (Temple City, Calif./Arcardia) put down a match-high 17 kills while
Emma Tecklenburg's (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) latest performance made history in the Silverswords' 25-21, 17-25, 25-15, 25-22 victory Saturday at Chase Gymnasium.
Tecklenburg, the senior outside hitter who entered the day with 1,258 kills, put down 12 to move her past Valasi Sepulona into second in the school's career kills list with 1,270. She needed just two to pass the former Silversword who played from 2001 to '05 and was a teammate of current head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke. Terri Bertulfo (1990-94) is the school's career leader with 1,477. Tecklenburg tied Sepulona's mark late in the first set then surpassed her with a kill early in the second.
More importantly, the win snapped the 'Swords' five-match losing streak as they salvaged their final road match through Southern California. Chaminade improved to 20-8 overall and 14-6 in the Pacific West Conference, giving the program its first back-to-back 20-win seasons in school history. They also swept the season series against Biola for the first time ever.
Claire Zanon (Beaverton, Ore./Jesuit) was a kill shy of another double-double with nine kills and 11 digs while
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) added seven kills.
Alana Handy (Burlington, Wash./Bethune-Cookman Univ./Burlington-Edison HS) contributed with six kills and four digs.
The Eagles (14-13, 11-8 PacWest) were led by Sabrina Winslow's 10 kills.
Chaminade hit .208 in the match and held Biola to .167. Less than 48 hours after not recording a block at Point Loma, the 'Swords tallied eight total team blocks with five block solos.
Rae Montrose (Cedar Hills, Utah/Lone Peak) had three of the solos while Saulala had two.
Natashya Enos (Kahalu'u, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Saint Francis) had 24 assists for Chaminade followed by
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) with 23.
Leka Kiner-Falefa (Honolulu/UNLV/Mid-Pacific Institute) had 13 digs.
The 'Swords fell behind 16-12 in the first set but a dump kill by Enos began a 7-0 surge to put the 'Swords ahead, 19-16. Montrose had her first block solo and teamed with Zanon on another block during the run. Chaminade scored the final three points of the set, capped by Kiner-Falefa's ace. It was the first time on the road trip they've taken the first set.
After Biola tied the match at 1, the 'Swords scored the first five of the third set's first six points with Handy starting the frame and provided a spark with two pair of kills. Chaminade then took command on another 4-0 run with Montrose accounting for two points with a kill and block assist to put them up 11-5 to give them a 2-1 match lead.
Chaminade trailed 10-7 in the fourth before slowly chipping away at the deficit. Down 13-12, Tecklenburg's kill tied it then Zanon put CUH ahead with one of her own which triggered an 8-3 run to put them up 20-16. Biola closed to within two but the Eagles committed a pair of errors to set up match point. On the third aloha ball, Zanon ended it to snap the 'Swords' slide.
Chaminade got 58 kills and 57 assists while Biola had 42 and 40 respectively. The 'Swords out-dug the Eagles 54-48 and had four service aces to BU's one.
The Silverswords return home for their final two matches of the season at McCabe Gymnasium. They face Academy of Art on Thursday followed by Holy Names on Saturday which will also be Aloha Senior Day.
