OAKLAND, Calif. – When the Chaminade University women's volleyball team won their first Pacific West Conference championship in 1996, the program had to wait 25 years to win their second.
They did not have to wait long to capture their third.
The Silverswords on Monday defeated Holy Names University, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, at Tobin Gymnasium, to clinch at least a share for their second consecutive PacWest title.
Freshman
Ajack Malual (Trento, Italy/Tambosi ETI) put down a season-high 13 kills while
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) added 10 more with 16 digs and four blocks for Chaminade, which improved to 21-7 overall and 16-1 in the PacWest. Point Loma and Fresno Pacific are both at 14-4 in the conference and the best each can do is tie for the title.
The Hawks (13-15, 8-11 PacWest), however, made the Silverswords earn the school's third volleyball crown.
Chaminade hit .218 on the evening, its second-lowest percentage in the past 17 matches due to long rallies by both teams. Holy Names had 87 digs, the most by a 'Swords opponent this season, while CUH had a season high 86.
But the Silverswords made several late set runs which proved to be the difference in the match.
Chaminade nearly surrendered an 18-12 first set lead with Holy Names rallying to within 23-22. Malual got a kill to reach set point then after the Hawks got a side out, the 'Swords ended the set with a
Sasha Colombo (Milan, Italy/Colorado State/Liceo Scientifico Giordano Bruno HS) kill.
The roles were reversed in the second set when HNU opened up a 21-13 advantage. But Malual accounted for four straight points with three kills and a block while
Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) added a kill and
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) got her only service ace to drop as the Silverswords got to within 21-19. From there, the teams traded side outs, allowing the Hawks to square the match.
Chaminade jumped out to an 11-4 third set lead which later swelled to 20-12. But HNU responded on a 7-1 run to come within two before the set finished like how the first ended, with the teams trading side outs to give the 'Swords a two-sets-to-one lead.
The Silverswords had two 3-0 runs while Holy Names had runs of 4-0 and 3-0 to start the fourth set. Trailing 16-15, Chaminade turned a service error into four straight points, putting them up 18-15. After trading the next six points,
Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS) got a natural point on her sixth kill of the match, giving CUH a 22-18 edge. Later, a Hawks' setting error got them to aloha ball at 24-20 where Corti put down the match winner, giving the 'Swords the victory and securing their back-to-back conference titles.
Saulala put down seven kills and had eight total blocks while
Brooklen Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) had eight kills and 11 digs. Colombo added six kills while Byrnes, in addition to her kill total, had 12 assists and 17 digs.
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga), who started at setter in Sets 3 and 4, dished out 15 assists and added 14 digs for her second career double-double.
Kaybrie Pe'a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) had three of the 'Swords' seven aces.
Chaminade had 54 kills, 44 assists and eight team total team blocks while holding the Hawks to a .176 attack percentage.
Ayanna Barnham had 15 kills for Holy Names, which had 56 on the evening with 53 assists and nine total team blocks.
The win was also the 35th straight against foes from the PacWest's Northern California region.
The Silverswords continue their road trip Wednesday at Academy of Art where they can clinch the conference title outright and the automatic bid to the NCAA West Regional. First serve is at 4:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.
