BELLINGHAM, Wash. – No one could blame the Chaminade University women's volleyball team for carrying an island-sized chip on their shoulders heading into Thursday's NCAA West Regional First Round.
After all, the team was on a year-long mission after getting bounced out early of the regional last year as the No. 3 seed and had the task of facing the top team in the region who also swept them earlier this season.
But perhaps, few saw what was coming as the Silverswords, the Pacific West Conference champions and No. 8 seed in this year's West Regional , stunned Alaska Anchorage, the region's top seed and champs of the GNAC, in five sets, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11, at WECU Court at Carver Gymnasium.
Four 'Swords tallied 12 or more kills, led by
Sasha Colombo (Milan, Italy/Colorado State/Liceo Scientifico Giordano Bruno HS), who put down a career-high 20 kills to help the 'Swords advance to their first regional semifinal since 2004.
"I'm extremely proud of our team," said head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke. "They showed up, they had no fear, they went for it and, honestly, I was very impressed the way they composed themselves out on the court."
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) added 17 and had 12 as Chaminade continued its torrid two-month stretch, winning for the 22nd time in its last 23 matches dating back to Sept. 3, to improve to 25-7 on the year.
Alaska Anchorage, which saw its season end at 27-3, was led by Eve Stephens, the consensus West Region Player of the Year, who put down 20 kills along with three aces and six digs.
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood), who now has 94 wins as a five-year member of the team, added 13 kills and had six total blocks while freshman
Ajack Malual (Trento, Italy/Tambosi ETI) put down 12 kills as the Silverswords avenged their three-set loss to the Seawolves back in Aug. 20 in Honolulu.
The victory over UAA, the fourth-ranked team in the latest AVCA regular season poll, was also the highest ranked opponent Chaminade has beaten as a Division II member and the first over a top-five ranked squad. The Silverswords were also no stranger to dishing up upsets at Carver Gym, having surprised 11th-ranked MSU Denver in the Western Washington Invitational in Sept. 2021.
Setters
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) and
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga) combined for 55 assists as the Silverswords amassed 76 kills while holding the Seawolves to 53.
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) scooped up a career-high 34 digs and three service aces while Byrnes contributed with 15 digs and two aces.
In the opening set, Chaminade raced out to a 10-4 lead before UAA closed to a single point twice. But
Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungsportszentrum Berlin HS) put down two of her seven kills with two successful attacks from Corti, one from Malual while
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) got the team's first ace, all of which helped Chaminade extend its lead to 23-16 and the eventual first set win. CUH had 21 kills in the set and hit a blistering .529 to UAA's nine kills.
Much like the first set, Chaminade opened with a 5-1 lead in Set 2 and owned as many as a 14-9 edge. The Seawolves chipped away where a 5-1 run of their own allowed them to take a 23-21 lead to help square the match.
The common theme of Chaminade starting sets strong continued in the third, taking a 10-4 advantage. Alaska Anchorage roared back as consecutive Reilly Plumhoff aces brought them back to a single point and later, Chaminade's 13-11 lead was erased by the Seawolves' 8-1 run. However, the resilient 'Swords got kills from Corti and Malual, an ace from
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) and a UAA hitting error to tie it at 20. But Chaminade committed three errors – including a potential Pe'a kill which was challenged and overturned which would have tied the set at 24 – to help the Seawolves take a two-set lead.
In a trend reversal, Alaska Anchorage took a 7-4 lead and eventually owned leads of 20-18 and 21-20, putting them in position to win the match and advance to the next round. Saulala, the school's career blocks leader, combined with Malual and Colombo on a pair of blocks with the latter putting down the kill at set point to send the match into a decisive fifth set.
In what was now a battle of wills, both teams strung together consecutive points where UAA would take a slim 7-6 lead. Chaminade answered back thanks to kills by Schilling and Pe'a before the Seawolves countered to tie the final set at 9. Then at 12-all, Saulala's attack was initially ruled out but Kabalis Hoke won a successful challenge which reversed the call to put the royal blue and white up, 13-12, which was followed by Corti's final kill of the afternoon. Then at aloha ball, she and Saulala roofed Stephens to complete the upset and send the Silverswords into the semifinals.
Chaminade and Alaska Anchorage, ranked sixth and seventh nationally in service aces, had eight and 11 aces, respectively. And despite being out-blocked 12.5-to-7.0, the 'Swords hit .292 and held the Seawolves to a .200 percentage. Chaminade also amassed 71 assists to AA's 48 and out-dug them, 88-to-54.
The Silverswords will face fourth-seeded and CCAA Tournament champion Cal Poly Pomona in Friday's regional semifinal. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. Hawai'i time.
