HONOLULU – The last time the Chaminade University women's volleyball team hosted Concordia University Irvine at McCabe Gymnasium was 13 months ago.
In that meeting, the Golden Eagles shocked the Silverswords in four sets, giving them one of their only two home losses in 2023.
Fast forward to Saturday, the 'Swords were in danger of history repeating itself but found a way to avoid catastrophe with a come-from-behind 21-25, 33-31, 25-19, 25-14 win.
The victory on "Dig Pink Day" was especially sweet, being the 500th all-time win for the program, which began in 1984.
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS) put down a match-high 20 kills while also serving up three aces to help the 'Swords win their ninth straight in improving to 19-4 overall and 12-0 in the Pacific West Conference. They have a two-game lead over undefeated Point Loma (10-0), pending the Sea Lions' match at Hawai'i Hilo which was played Saturday night on the Big Island.
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) and
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio) each put down eight kills with the former pushing back four blocks.
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) and
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) added seven and six kills, respectively.
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) had 37 assists, three blocks, one ace and was an offensive force with five kills.
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) scooped up 20 digs.
Kayden Croy led CUI (12-9, 7-6 PacWest) with 15 kills.
The Golden Eagles used a 10-3 midway through the first set to turn a four-point deficit into a 15-13 edge. Trailing 22-17, the 'Swords ran off four straight to close within a point but CUI scored the final three points of the frame. They committed just two hitting errors while CUH had nine in the set.
The end of the second set was nerve-wracking for fans of both teams. Like they did in the previous set, the 'Swords rallied from 22-19 down and had a chance for set-point at 24-23. But like a pair of MMA fighters, both teams threw punches and counterpunches as the frame went into extra points. Chaminade staved off five CUI set-points and finally, on the 'Swords' fourth chance to tie the match, they did just that on Cammillucci's kill. The 64 combined points is the most in a single set in program history, surpassing the previous mark of 60 – a 31-29 Set 2 win at Jessup University – on Oct. 3.
The Set 2 comeback proved to be the momentum swing the 'Swords needed, jumping out to an 8-4 edge in the pivotal third set. Concordia got to within 19-17 but Cammillucci's kill and two aces helped them pull away to take the two-sets-to-one advantage.
The fourth set was all Silverswords. A 15-2 surge was keyed by eight straight trips to the service line by
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) who had two aces during the run as the 'Swords never looked back. Chaminade's defense held CUI to a minus-.308 attack percentage (two kills, 10 errors, 26 attempts) in the final set.
The 'Swords had 56 kills on 51 assists, 62 digs, nine aces and nine total team blocks. The Golden Eagles had 44 kills, 38 assists, 60 digs, five aces and eight total team blocks.
The Silverswords begin the final two matches of their home stand Thursday against Fresno Pacific at McCabe Gym with first serve at 7 p.m.
