FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team got a team-high 15 kills from
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) and 12 from
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) to help the Silverswords improve to 2-0 in the Hawai'i-Alaska Challenge with a 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22 win over 14th-ranked Alaska Anchorage at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium.
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) got her second double-double in as many matches with 10 kills and 10 digs in a rematch of last November's West Regional quarterfinal match won by Chaminade in the biggest upset in the NCAA Tournament. Malual also added a career-high 11 digs to record her first career double-double.
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) contributed with six kills and three blocks followed by
Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungsportszentrum Berlin HS) with five kills.
Less than 24 hours after dishing out 49 assists in her first collegiate match, freshman
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) had 36 assists and 12 digs while adding five kills.
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS) had a match-best 24 digs.
Nicole Blue paced the Seawolves (0-1) with 18 kills.
The 'Swords opened up a 9-3 lead in the first set, building it up as many as 21-12 en-route to taking the set. Chaminade then used a run of eight straight points midway through the second set with Ka'apuni – who began her career at UAA – accounting for a kill and a service ace to take a 2-0 lead.
The Seawolves answered by taking the third set and were threatening to force a decisive fifth set with a 22-21 lead. But Chaminade forced two Anchorage errors then Ka'apuni put the finishing touches against her former teammates with the match's final two kills to complete the win.
Although Alaska Anchorage out-hit Chaminade, .252-to-.241, the 'Swords out-assisted the Seawolves, 53-to-45, out-dug them, 72-to-60, and out-served them with 12 aces to their five. Malual, who did not have an ace last season, had a career-best four. Ka'apuni and
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) had three each.
The Silverswords will wrap up the Challenge Saturday with rematches against the Seawolves at 8:30 a.m. Hawai'i time and host Alaska at 5:30 p.m. HST.
