HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team set the single-season program wins record Saturday with a 25-18, 25-15, 25-17 win over Academy of Art at McCabe Gymnasium.
Improving to 28-3 on the season, the 15th-ranked Silverswords surpassed the previous mark of 27 set in 2021.
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) put down a match-high 11 kills while
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) added 10.
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) had six kills with six total blocks including three solo, and was a significant presence at the net as the 'Swords forced ART U into 29 attack errors and a minus-.052 hitting percentage. It is the fourth time this season Chaminade held an opponent to a negative percentage.
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) had 26 assists and 11 digs while
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS) had 13 digs, just missing her Pacific West Conference-leading average of 5.00 entering the match.
Although the Urban Knights did not reach 20 points in any set, the match was more competitive that the score indicated. That was evident in the first set when ART U pounced to an 11-3 lead as the 'Swords made some self-inflicted mistakes with five hitting errors, two setting errors and surrendering a service ace.
After Chaminade called a timeout, the team seemed to get their act together with an 8-1 run. The 'Swords caught the Urban Knights at 13 then took a 15-14 lead on a hitting error and, later, scored six of the set's final seven points to escape with the win.
The second set was as highly competitive as well with Chaminade hanging on to an 18-15 edge. The 'Swords proceeded to end the set with seven straight points, forcing five attack errors while
Heavenly Campbell (Waialua, O'ahu, Hawai'i/College of Southern Idaho/Damien HS) had a kill and a block during the run to put Chaminade up two-sets-to-none.
It was more of the same in the third set with ART U hanging around early, trailing just 9-8 and 14-11. But the Silverswords began pulling away, setting up aloha ball at 24-17 where
Kanoelehua Misipeka's (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Liberty North (Kan.) dig headed towards the Urban Knights' side but was not returned for the sophomore's first career kill.
Although the win pushed Chaminade's PacWest record to 16-3, it was not enough to continue their two-year reign as conference champions when Point Loma defeated Westmont an hour after the 'Swords' win to clinch its first PacWest volleyball title.
Waialua High School alumnae Alohi Garcia led Academy of Art (4-21, 3-15 PacWest) with seven kills.
Although Chaminade had just one ace, coming from
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) towards the end of the final set, their eight total blocks helped offset it.
The Silverswords will conclude the regular season on Friday, Nov. 17 when they host the University of Hawai'i Hilo at McCabe Gym at 5 p.m. Following the match, the seniors will be honored.
