FRESNO, Calif. – The ninth-ranked Chaminade University women's volleyball ended their first Pacific West Conference road trip Saturday with a 23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-15 victory over Fresno Pacific University at the Special Events Center.
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) and
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) each put down 11 kills to help the Silverswords win all four of their PacWest matches on the trip and complete a perfect northern California road swing for the seventh straight season.
The 'Swords, who defeated Fresno Pacific for the 15th straight meeting which is tied for the longest active streak against a single opponent, are 13-4 overall and 6-0 in the PacWest, tying them atop the conference standings with Point Loma. The win was also the 52nd straight against PacWest NorCal foes (FPU is considered in the conference's NorCal arm despite being in the Central Valley).
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS) contributed with eight kills, 10 digs and four service aces while
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio) added six more kills.
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) dished out 32 assists and two aces while
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) had 10 digs and four aces.
Mia Gilcrest led the Sunbirds (8-5, 4-2 PacWest) with eight kills.
Two days after playing the PacWest's northern-most school at Jessup University in Rocklin, the 'Swords made the three-hour drive to the region's southern-most point in Fresno and the long travel showed immediately. The Sunbirds roared out by scoring the first six points of the set but the Silverswords methodically chipped away then managed to grab a 16-14 edge. Leading 23-22, the 'Swords had a chance to steal the set before FPU took advantage of a pair of CUH attack errors to win the opening frame.
But that seemed to activate their on switch in the next set, pouncing on a 13-4 lead, forcing four straight Sunbird hitting errors during one stretch. Despite getting just four kills in the Set 2, the 'Swords forced 11 attack errors with four blocks. They also served up four aces in the frame to square the match in convincing fashion.
Trailing 14-12 in the third set, Ka'apuni had a pair of kills during a 6-0 run and the 'Swords closed the frame by out-scoring the Sunbirds, 5-1, to take the two-sets-to-one match lead.
Chaminade, which had lost all four matches when dropping the opening set entering Saturday, quickly stomped out the trend by putting the match away quickly in the fourth, grabbing a 12-4 lead. There were two aces each from Cammillucci and Inoue during that run, part of seven aces in the set.
The 'Swords hit .240 in the match while FPU was held to .026, put down 42 kills, 37 assists, 44 digs and nine blocks. They also tallied a season-high 14 aces. The Sunbirds had 31 kills, 30 assists, 38 digs and eight blocks.
After playing 13 of their first 17 matches on the mainland, the Silverswords return for their only extended home stretch of the season with their next eight on O'ahu including seven at McCabe Gymnasium. They will open up a four-match home stand starting Friday against Westmont College with a 7 p.m. first-serve time.
Prior to the match, there will be a pep-rally starting at 5 p.m. at the Sullivan Library Lawn with shave ice, food, music and prizes. Fans can also meet the other Chaminade fall sports teams (men's/women's soccer, men's/women's cross country) at the event.
