OAKLAND, Calif. – When you're a nationally-ranked team, you tend to get the best out of an opponent.
It is that much more difficult on on the road. Against a steadily-improving opponent. In a facility that has only their fans.
The 24th-ranked Chaminade University women's volleyball team dealt with all of those factors Thursday but in the end, managed to pull out a much-closer-than-the-score-indicated match against Holy Names at Tobin Gymnasium.
The Silverswords won their third straight match in their current Northern California road trip with a 25-13, 25-23, 15-25, 25-22 victory in front of an announced crowd of 30 HNU-only fans at Tobin Gymnasium (current maximum capacity 50).
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) and
Kyra McCain (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) each put down 12 kills to help Chaminade improve to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the Pacific West Conference.
Ayanna Barham had a match-high 14 kills for the Hawks (4-10, 1-5 PacWest).
Marcelle Butler (Woodstock, Ga./Howard University/Sequoyah HS) and
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) each helped the 'Swords with nine kills. Saulala hit .750 on the evening and for the second consecutive match, did not commit an attacking error. She is also hitting .625 (26 kills, no errors, 40 attempts) during the current road trip.
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/University of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) contributed with six kills in her first start in nearly three weeks after suffering a Sept. 11 injury.
In the opening set, the 'Swords did not surrender consecutive points until it was 21-12 as they coasted in the first set. Chaminade out-pointed Holy Names, 12-1, in natural points with Pe'a, McCain, Saulala and Butler combining for 14 of the 'Swords' 17 kills.
Chaminade held a lead of 18-13 in the second set when Holy Names made their first significant run of the match with four straight points. The 'Swords replied with four consecutive of their own then served for set point at 24-20 before HNU strung together three in a row. Pe'a closed it out on their fourth try at set point.
The third set proved it was no longer the Holy Names of years past when they opened up a 12-4 lead. Chaminade managed to close to 13-9, but a 6-0 HNU run would all but force an extra set. The loss snapped the Silverswords' streak of 26 consecutive sets won against Holy Names dating back to November 2015. The 'Swords hit just .087, committed seven attack errors and had seven reception errors while the Hawks hit .348 in the set.
With the small but boisterous Hawks-only crowd now into the match, Holy Names ran off six straight points to grab a 10-5 lead in the fourth set. The teams traded several points and with the Hawks leading 14-10 and poised to force a decisive fifth, Chaminade forced a hitting error which opened the door. McCain then personally took over the match, putting down three kills and teamed with Corti on a block to give the 'Swords a 16-15 edge.
After the Hawks tied it on the next point on a kill by Lauren Sera, McCain put down her fourth kill of the set to put Chaminade up for good at 17-16. Butler set up aloha ball with her final kill then McCain, fittingly, was credited with a kill when Holy Names was called for a net violation at aloha ball.
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) dished out 40 assists and contributed with 13 digs and five kills.
Anna Dalla Vecchia (Vicenza, Italy/University of San Francisco/IIS S.B. Boscardin HS) had 23 kills. Pe'a had four of the team's nine service aces, tying her season high.
Chaminade hit .233 to Holy Names' .181 and put down 53 kills to HNU's 44. They also had 47 assists, 55 digs, seven aces and seven total team blocks. The Hawks totaled 37 assists, 48 digs, eight aces and six blocks.
The Silverswords wrap up their NorCal road trip Saturday against Fresno Pacific. Fans for both teams are allowed in the FPU Special Events Center.