HONOLULU – Since October 2021, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team has been the Pacific West Conference's premier squad, winning 29 of their last conference 30 matches.
In 2022, the Silverswords' lone conference blemish came at home to Point Loma in four sets.
In 2023, history repeated itself.
In an eerie mirror image of that Oct. 19 match, the 12th-ranked 'Swords won the first set only to see the Sea Lions roar back and take the next three to hand them a 20-25, 25-11, 25-20, 25-20 loss at McCabe Gymnasium.
The defeat ended their program-record 12-0 start which was also one shy of a record 13-match win streak, accomplished twice during the 2019 and 2022 seasons.
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) tied her career high with 17 kills, which led the match.
Point Loma was paced by Abigail Nua and Anna Massari who each put down 11 kills while Torina Hommes added 10 while committing no attack errors for a .625 percentage. Nua, however, was neutralized by committing 11 hitting errors and a zero hitting percentage.
The Sea Lions, who have won four straight and improved to 7-4 and 4-0 in the PacWest, not only held the Silverswords (12-1, 1-1 PacWest) to a season-low .083 hitting percentage, but forced both
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) and
Ajack Malual (Rome, Italy/Tambosi ETI) to hit negative in the match. Corti had seven kills while Malual put down nine.
Point Loma's size also enabled them to record 10 total team blocks with Massari recording six block assists while also hitting .346 on the evening.
At 13-all in the opening set, Malual served back-to-back service aces as a part of a 4-0 run to pad Chaminade's lead to 17-13. But the Sea Lions rallied and tied the set at 21 before Malual and Ka'apuni put down consecutive kills. Ka'apuni then solo blocked Massari followed by Malual and
Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungsportszentrum Berlin HS) teaming up to record the set-ending block.
But Point Loma then set the tone for the rest of the match, forcing eight 'Swords' attack errors in the set. The Sea Lions, who had a set-finishing 16-0 run Wednesday at Hawai'i Pacific, put together a 9-0 surge to end the second frame to square the match.
The Silverswords managed to scrape together rallies in the third set including three straight points to force a 17-17 deadlock. But the Sea Lions went on a three point run of their own to take a 20-17 edge which helped them take a 2-1 set lead.
Chaminade was primed to send the match to a decisive fifth set, leading by as many as 10-6. Holding on to a 13-12 lead, Point Loma scored five straight during a pivotal stretch late in the frame and hand the 'Swords their first loss of the season.
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) had 27 assists and a season-high 19 digs for Chaminade while
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS) had 12 digs and
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) 10. Malual had three aces while
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) provided two.
For the first time this season, the 'Swords were out-hit on the stat line with 39 kills to Point Loma's 51. They were also out-assisted (45-to-26) and out-dug (67-to-59).
The Silverswords will look to rebound on Saturday when their home stand continues against Azusa Pacific at 5 p.m.
