HILO, Hawai'i – With a Pacific West Conference championship within their grasp, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team left absolutely no doubt on the Vulcan Gymnasium floor.
Needing a win at the University of Hawai'i Hilo to claim all the marbles, the No. 24 Silverswords on Friday put an emphatic cap on their 2021 regular season by capturing their first PacWest title in 25 years with a 25-23, 25-12, 25-17 sweep.
Annah Rivera (Granada Hill, Calif./Bishop Alemany) put down a match-high 12 kills to add to the 'Swords' program record 27-5 mark while improving to 17-3 in the PacWest.
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) and
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) each added eight kills apiece with
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/University of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) putting down seven.
By winning the conference title outright, the 'Swords earned the PacWest's automatic berth into the NCAA West Region which begins Dec. 2 or 3 in either San Bernardino, Calif., or Bellingham, Wash.
It is also somewhat of a redemption a quarter-century later for the 'Swords' last conference championship volleyball team. The school's first and only other volleyball championship squad did not even have the opportunity to participate in the postseason with the PacWest losing its automatic qualifier status that year.
The evening was extra special for Chaminade's 10th-year head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke, who not only clinched the title in her hometown of Hilo, but to complete the resurrection of the program which won just two matches the season before her hiring.
In the previous two full seasons (2018, '19), the Silverswords had consecutive 20-win campaigns. But both years, they fell short of the title. The 2019 team was atop the PacWest standings for seven weeks before injuries late in the year cost them a chance at the crown.
But not the 2021 team who seemed to be grow stronger towards the conclusion of the season. Their current eight-match winning streak is tied for fourth-longest in program history while their eight-match home win streak is tied for second-most.
"One of our core values this season was 'Huli Ka Lima I Lalo' which means 'Turn your hands down,'" Kabalis Hoke said. "We really want to focus on working for what we want and earning our success regardless of our talent level.
"Even with talented teams in previous years, we've fell short of the conference championship and this year, we knew we had to think differently to make it happen."
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) dished out 32 assists with four 'Swords reaching double-figures in digs, led by
Anna Dalla Vecchia (Vicenza, Italy/University of San Francisco/IIS S.B. Boscardin HS) and Corti who had 14 each.
Saulala had four total blocks, giving her 260 in her career to move her past Terri Berfulfo for third in the program's all-time blocks list.
The win also snapped the 'Swords' six-match losing streak to UH Hilo which included a five-set loss back in September, minus the services of Pe'a and Corti due to injuries. Oddly enough, it was the first sweep in the series since Chaminade swept the Vulcans in October 2017. Seven of the previous 12 meetings went the full five sets.
The Vulcans (16-7, 13-6 PacWest) were led by Bria Beale who had eight kills but was held to a .023 attack percentage.
The first set was indicative of the evenness of the rivalry which dates back to 1984, Chaminade's first year of volleyball. The largest lead for either team early was two with the 'Swords taking a three-point edge later in the set. The Vulcans battled back and took a 23-22 lead but a UH Hilo service error followed by a Corti kill and an attack error on set point gave the 'Swords a first-set lead.
The second set was all Chaminade which opened the set on a 10-3 run then closed it on a 7-0 surge to go up two-sets-to-none.
With an opportunity to close the match out, the 'Swords did just that, opening up a 7-2 lead. Later, Rivera put down three straight kills to up Chaminade up 12-5. Byrnes and Saulala teamed to block Samara Cruz to set up aloha ball then two points later, Saulala ended it on their third crack at championship point which send the rest of the team streaming onto the court to celebrate the long-await title.
Chaminade hit .254 in the match and held UH Hilo to a .085 attack percentage. The 'Swords put down 45 kills, had six total team blocks and had 69 digs to the Vulcans' 31 kills, two blocks and 57 digs.
"I'm incredibly grateful to be able to coach such an invested group," Kabalis Hoke said. "This moment feels absolutely amazing; to be able to achieve something so momentous is wonderful. However all of this would not be possible if not for the years of hard work that the alumnae and assistant coaches put into building this competitive culture and championship mindset. I'm so thankful for the dedication these athletes and coaches have put into this dream and making it a reality."
The Silverswords will find out their first round West Region opponent in Monday's NCAA Selection Show which will air on NCAA.com at 2:30 p.m. Hawai'i time. It will mark the program's fourth all-time postseason appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament, their last being in 2018.
