FRESNO, Calif. – If after eight days on the road was wearing out the Chaminade University women's volleyball, it didn't show in the final match of their trip.
The 24th-ranked Silverswords blitzed past Fresno Pacific in straight sets, 25-18, 25-12, 25-18, in a match that lasted just over an hour.
The 'Swords (15-3 overall, 5-1 Pacific West Conference) hit a blistering .367 – their second-highest attack percentage of the year – to complete a perfect 4-for-4 road trip. It was their 19th consecutive win in conference's Northern California pod, dating back to November 2016.
Marcelle Butler (Woodstock, Ga./Howard University/Sequoyah HS) put down a match-high 12 kills and hit .733, the third-highest attack percentage in school history overall and second-highest in a three-set match. Butler had just one hitting error on 15 swings.
Chaminade's middles of
Kyra McCain (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) and
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) combined to hit .462 on the match with the former hitting .571 with eight kills and no attack errors while the latter had five kills with just one error. Butler, McCain and Saulala also had three blocks each.
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) added nine kills and four service aces for the 'Swords while
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/University of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) contributed with eight kills
Corinne Acosta led the Sunbirds (4-12, 1-5 PacWest) with 10 kills.
The 'Swords wasted no time, racing out to a 14-5 lead in the first set and never looked back. Butler and Corti putting down eight kills each.
Butler hammered down the first three points of the second set to help Chaminade open on a 6-0 run. After the Sunbirds climbed back with four straight to close to 9-7,
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill),
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) and Pe'a combined for four aces as part of an 11-3 run to seal the set. The 'Swords hit a whopping .560 (16 kills, two errors, 25 attempts) and had nearly as many service aces (5) in the set as Fresno Pacific had kills (6).
In the final set with Chaminade nursing a 17-14 lead, Saulala and Pe'a put down kills followed by consecutive aces from Byrnes which was part of a 5-0 run to remove any suspense.
Byrnes had 34 assists and 10 digs, her 11th double-double of the season, with four kills.
Anna Dalla Vecchia (Vicenza, Italy/University of San Francisco/IIS S.B. Boscardin HS) registered a match-best 18 digs.
The Silverswords return home and will open a five-match home stand Thursday against Concordia University Irvine at McCabe Gymnasium followed by Biola on Saturday. Spectators will once again not be permitted.
