HONOLULU – Playing with a less-than-full-deck for the second consecutive night, the 21st-ranked Chaminade University women's volleyball team could not overcome a squad that has their number over the past two years.
The Silverswords on Saturday saw their five-match winning streak halted in a 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 25-23 loss to the University of Hawai'i Hilo at McCabe Gymnasium, dropping them to 11-3 overall and 1-1 in the Pacific West Conference.
Annah Rivera (Granada Hills, Calif./Bishop Alemany) slammed down a season-high 14 kills with 12 digs while
Marcelle Butler (Woodstock, Ga./Howard University/Sequoyah HS) added 11.
Tate Lutu (Honolulu/Sacred Hearts), who moved from defensive specialist to outside hitter for the match, also put down 11, a career-high.
Setter
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) had 32 assists and 22 digs, finishing three kills shy of a triple-double.
Anna Dalla Vecchia (Vicenza, Italy/University of San Francisco/IIS S.B. Boscardin HS) added 16 digs.
In the end, the losses of the team's top two attackers,
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) and
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/University of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS), to injuries suffered at last weekend's Hawai'i Challenge proved too much to overcome. Pe'a was averaging a team-leading 3.21 kills per set and Corti 2.53 at the time of their injuries.
Bria Beale led the Vulcans (4-1, 1-0 PacWest) with a match-high 17 kills.
UH Hilo has won the last six meetings between the two programs and eight of the nine. Prior to their current run, the 'Swords had won seven consecutive in the series.
However, all the circumstances leading into the match was irrelevant. It appeared that Chaminde's makeshift lineup with Lutu and
Saryiah Kahakai (Honolulu/College of Southern Idaho/Farrington HS) getting starting nods seemed to pay dividends. The 'Swords opened up a 15-7 lead in the first set before UH Hilo came roaring back on a 15-3 surge which helped them win the opening set.
After dropping the second set and facing the prospect of being swept out of their own gym, the 'Swords finally managed to get the shop righted in the third, hitting a solid .343 with just three attack errors.
Chaminade opened the fourth set by with a 5-1 lead, two points on service aces by Dalla Vecchia. But down 9-6, UH Hilo scored six straight to take the lead for good.
The 'Swords hit .211 in the match to the Vulcans' .250 with both teams dealing nine aces. However UH Hilo had 10 total team blocks to Chaminade's three, their lowest block output of the season.
The Silverswords will get the next nine days off before embarking on their four-match Northern California road trip starting Sept. 27 at Academy of Art.
