Since 2018, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team has been on a steady climb as they attempted to become one of the premier programs in the West Region.
The 2023 season became yet another layer in the build to become just that.
Although their two-year run as Pacific West Conference champion ended and having their season come to a rather disappointing finish with a loss to eventual NCAA Division II national champion Cal State Los Angeles in the regional semifinals, there was a lot to celebrate and reflect.
The Silverswords, who were celebrating their 40th year as an intercollegiate program, went a program-record 30-4 and earned the West Region's No. 1 seed for the first time ever. Individually, five were named all-PacWest, three earned AVCA All-America status, another was the national freshman of the year and 12th-year head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke earned her career 200th win. The program also played its 1,000th all-time match on Oct. 28 at Point Loma.
The Silverswords led the majority of the PacWest's statistical categories and were among the nation's leaders in service aces per set (18th, 2.12), assists per set (38th, 12.29), digs per set (91st,16.15) and opponent hitting percentage (eighth, .127). They were second in the PacWest in hitting percentage (.237, 38th nationally) and kills per set (13.59, 28th nationally).
Seniors
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS),
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS) and
Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungsportszentrum Berlin HS) each had impactful years.
Corti ended her career ranked among the program's all-time leaders in several categories: she is ninth on Chaminade's all-time kills list with 892, second in service aces with 123 and sixth in digs with 999. Combined with her lone year at the University of San Francisco, Corti has over 1,000 career kills, 1,000 digs and 150 aces.
In her lone season at Chaminade, Crisostomo recorded 590 digs at a 4.92 per set clip, both second in single season team history. She also had 43 aces which was among PacWest leaders.
In two years with the 'Swords, Schilling finished fourth in career hitting percentage at .327 while also ending in a tie for eighth in blocks per set at 0.79. She finished second in the PacWest in attack percentage with a .345 average.
Right-side hitter
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) wrapped up her sophomore campaign as one of the conference's top attackers at a 3.35 kills per set clip while her 51 aces and 0.45 aces per set average led the conference.
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS), in her first year, was fourth in hitting percentage at .324 while her 1.04 blocks average was fifth-best in the conference.
And
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) put together one of the top freshmen seasons in program history. Aside from finishing second in the PacWest in assists at 9.21 per set, she was a six-rotation player, contributing with 86 kills, 21 aces, 327 digs and 42 blocks.
Corti, Crisostomo, Malual, Lopez and Ama were all named to the All-PacWest First Team with Lopez earning Newcomer of the Year, the fifth straight year the 'Swords have earned the accolade. Ama was the Setter and Freshman of the Year and Crisostomo the Libero of the Year.
All-region honors by both the AVCA and D2CCA went to Crisostomo, Malual and Ama while all three were also named AVCA All-Americans. Malaul was named to the third team, marking Chaminade's first awardee on either the first, second or third teams. Meanwhile, Ama was both the AVCA West Region Freshman of the Year and was later named the AVCA national freshman of the year.
Despite all the successes and accolades, the premature end to the Silverswords' season added yet more fuel to a squad that is still seeking their first regional title and NCAA final eight appearance.
