HONOLULU – Ranked No. 10 nationally in the AVCA Division II Top 25 Poll, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team knows that they are going to get the best from each opponent. That is particularly true when it involves their traditional rivals.
Less than 24 hours after getting the best from in-city rival Hawai'i Pacific University, the Silverswords on Saturday got just that and more from their other in-state nemesis, the University of Hawai'i Hilo, who were also playing for a spot at the top of the Pacific West Conference standings, sitting just one game out of first place.
Despite committing a school-record 22 service errors, the 'Swords willed their way from a two-sets-to-one deficit to outlast the Vulcans in five sets, 25-16, 19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-8, in front of vocal of crowd of 276 at McCabe Gymnasium. It was the 124th all-time meeting between the two, the longest running series in Chaminade volleyball history.
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) tied her career high with 20 kills while
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) set her career best with 14 while hitting .650 to help the Silverswords win their seventh straight this season and their sixth straight over the Vulcans to improve to 17-4 overall. They also remained perfect in the PacWest at the midway mark of league play at 10-0 and earned two points in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge. Stucci also had seven total blocks, three solo.
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio) added eight kills while
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS) and
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) chipped in with seven and six, respectively.
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) dished out a career-high 54 assists, the most by a Silversword since Alexia Byrnes also had 54 against Alaska in August 2021.
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) had 20 digs, her second 20-dig match this season.
Taylor Tullo had 13 kills for UH Hilo, which saw its eight-match win streak come to a halt, falling to 13-7 and 8-2 in the PacWest.
The Silverswords took early control of the first set, racing out to an 11-4 lead and were never realistically threatened in winning the opener.
But the second set was another story. Behind their extremely vocal fan base who outnumbered the home team's supporters, the Vulcans won several long rallies to tie the set. The third frame was a near-carbon copy of the second with the visitors keeping balls in play and winning extended rallies while surrendering just nine CUH kills and forcing seven hitting errors, giving Chaminade its first 2-1 deficit against conference foes this season.
With the backs against the wall, the Silverswords recorded six total team blocks with Stucchi sending back five total with two block solos and three block assists. Talpash and Ka'apuni had two block assists each to help Chaminade regain the momentum by forcing 11 UH Hilo attack errors and a minus-.152 attack percentage in the fourth frame to send the match to a decisive fifth.
The 'Swords, who had lost their only five-setter this season (to West Texas A&M in September), raced out to a 6-2 lead on two Lopez kills and two points from Stucchi on a kill and block. Lopez put down two more attacks later in the frame to put Chaminade up, 12-6, then Stucchi ended it at aloha ball to give the 'Swords the win.
Hitting .248 in the match, the 'Swords had 60 kills, 56 assists, 54 digs and three service aces. UH Hilo had a .051 hitting percentage with 39 kills, 37 assists, 47 digs, five total team blocks and four aces.
The Silverswords, who are in the middle of eight straight matches on O'ahu which includes seven at home, will face PacWest newcomer Vanguard University on Friday, Oct. 25 at McCabe Gym. First serve is at 7 p.m.
