HONOLULU – If there is any opponent in the Pacific West Conference that the Chaminade University women's volleyball team has little success, it is Azusa Pacific.
On Monday, however, the scenario changed exponentially.
The Silverswords, who earlier in the day learned they had returned to the AVCA Division II Top 25 Poll at No. 25, had four players with 11 or more kills while the team itself put up a wall against the APU attack.
The result was a 22-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-15 Chaminade win at McCabe Gym in a matchup of the PacWest's top two teams. The match was originally scheduled for Oct. 30 in Azusa but was moved to Honolulu.
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) had a match-high 13 kills while
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/University of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS),
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) and
Annah Rivera (Granada Hills, Calif./Bishop Alemany) each had 11 as the 'Swords snapped an eight-match losing streak to the Cougars dating back to 2015.
Chaminade improved to 24-5 on the season, setting a new school record for wins. The 'Swords also improved to 14-3 in the PacWest as they inched closer to APU which still leads the conference standings, albeit by mere percentage points, with an 11-2 mark, 16-5 overall. Chaminade also snapped the Cougars' seven-match winning streak while extending their own to five.
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) put together her team-leading 19th double-double with 30 assists and 10 digs while
Anna Dalla Vecchia (Vicenza, Italy/University of San Francisco/IIS S.B. Boscardin HS), who earlier on Monday earned her second PacWest Defender of the Week award, had 24 digs, increasing her school record total to 573 on the year.
Pe'a and Corti also reached double figures in digs with 18 and 14, respectively, the former tying her season high.
Chaminade also amassed 17 total team blocks, essentially turning the tables on Azusa Pacific, which entered Monday as the PacWest's top blocking squad. Saulala had nine total blocks including two solo while
Kyra McCain (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) had eight with two solo blocks to go with her five kills. The 17 blocks is the most during head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke's tenure and the second highest in program history.
The 'Swords also got big contributions from reserves
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill),
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) and
Tatiana Toleafoa (Union City, Calif./Cal State Fullerton/James Logan HS). Rios had a kill and three blocks, Abary 17 assists and seven digs while Toleafoa had five digs and two service aces.
Chaminade roared out to a 9-4 first set lead before the Cougars made a run, taking a 16-15 edge. Despite surrendering the lead, the 'Swords battled back and with two Pe'a kills and an APU attack error, went up 22-20. But APU rolled off five straight to win the first set.
But energized by a large and loud home crowd on hand, the 'Swords opened up a 6-1 lead in the second set which they later expanded to 15-7. APU would get no closer to five as Chaminade tied the match.
Tied at 6 in the pivotal third set, the Silverswords ran off five straight with Toleafoa at the service line including her two aces. APU would reduce its deficit to 22-19 but the teams sided out the next five points, ending with McCain's kill, giving Chaminade a two-sets-to-one advantage.
Despite surrendering the first three points in the fourth set, the 'Swords stormed back on a 6-1 run. Then the defining moment of the match came with CUH leading 15-11. Following two Pe'a kills, the 'Swords blocked three consecutive APU swings for points with Pe'a and Saulala teaming up for two and the latter getting one via block solo. Byrnes put a cap on the 6-0 run with an ace that fell between three Cougars who froze in their tracks as the ball found the middle of the floor.
Chaminade dominated the game statistically with 58 kills, 54 assists, seven aces and 90 digs. APU had 39 kills, 38 assists, three aces and 64 digs.
The 'Swords also held APU to a .093 attack percentage, the Cougars' lowest since their season opener against Simon Fraser on Sept. 2.
The Silverswords and Cougars will face each other in a rematch Wednesday at McCabe Gym. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Fans must show proof of vaccination, where masks at all times while inside with only water allowed. Fans should also fill out a digital contact tracing form starting Tuesday evening by clicking
here.