SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – After a nine-day layoff, the 18th-ranked Chaminade University women's volleyball team returned to action Wednesday, opening a four-match Pacific West Conference road trip with a 25-11, 25-17, 25-18 win over Dominican University of California at the Conlon Center.
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) put down a match-high nine kills while
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) added another eight to help the Silverswords get back into the win column after dropping two of their last three matches at home.
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) added six kills for the Silverswords, who improved to 14-2 overall and 3-2 in the PacWest, while also recording their 40th straight win over a PacWest Northern California school. Corti also had four service aces, putting her over the century mark with 102 in her Chaminade career. Combined with her lone playing year (2020-21) at the University of San Francisco, the senior has 121 collegiate aces.
Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungsportszentrum Berlin HS) also had six kills, as did
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS), who returned to action after missing Chaminade's last home stand due to an injury. Lopez also had five blocks.
Avery Schneider and Braenwynne Matthews combined for 17 kills for Dominican, which fell to 0-13 and 0-6 in the PacWest. The rest of the team had seven combined with no other Penguin had more than one.
Corti reached the century mark in CUH career aces with two in the match's first eight points as Chaminade opened up an 8-1 lead which later expanded to as many as 16-5.
Dominican was more competitive in the second set, staying within three points of the lead before the 'Swords went on an 8-1 run with Schilling accounting for four kills and a block during that stretch.
In the final set, Chaminade opened up a 13-5 advantage although DUC rallied to within 15-11. But the Silverswords began pulling away with kills from Malual and
Heavenly Campbell (Waialua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Idaho/Damien HS) while defensive specialist
Kyra Pagud (Honolulu/Moanalua) got her first career kill followed by an ace from
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS).
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS) had 13 digs and four aces for the 'Swords and
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) dished out 25 assists.
The 'Swords hit .275 to the Penguins' .056 percentage. Chaminade also had 42 kills to Dominican's 22, out-blocked them 7-to-2 and had 10 aces to their two. Digs were almost even with CUH's 43 and DUC's 41.
The Silverswords return to action Thursday when they face Academy of Art at Kezar Pavilion. Match time is set for 3:30 p.m. Hawai'i time.
