AZUSA, Calif. – So much for the trap game.
With a potential Pacific West Conference title match looming on the horizon, the seventh-ranked Chaminade University women's volleyball team could have easily been looking past Wednesday's match at Azusa Pacific to Friday's encounter at Point Loma.
Instead, the Silverswords took care of business, sweeping past the Cougars, 25-18, 25-17, 25-18 at the Felix Event Center, to avoid the stigma of looking ahead.
Chaminade won their 14th straight match, a new program record, to improve to 24-4 on the season and 17-0 in the PacWest. They also found out they were ranked No. 3 in the first set of numbered NCAA West Region rankings, which was released earlier in the day. Cal Poly Pomona and San Francisco State are ahead of them at 1 and 2, respectively.
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio) and
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) each put down 11 kills for the Silverswords who hit a season-high .457 in the match with just 11 attack errors. Stucchi was particularly efficient, putting down all but one swing, tying her with Brooke Bell for a single-match attack percentage record of .917 in three-setters (minimum 10 kills).
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) added nine more kills and
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) put down seven more. Both also had two blocks.
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) had 37 assists and two blocks while
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) came up with 12 digs.
Kendyl MacAskill had 10 kills for APU, which fell to 13-10 and 9-7 in the PacWest.
In the first meeting between the two teams on Oct. 12 at McCabe Gymnasium, a non-COVID-related virus left Azusa Pacific with just seven players but they still managed to keep the 'Swords on their toes. This time, Chaminade put the hammer down on a fully healthy APU squad with a 7-1 run early in the opening set which paved the way to an 11-6 lead. After the Cougars tied it at 15, the 'Swords went on a set-ending 10-3 surge to take the first, committing just two attack errors and hit .533.
It was much of the same for Chaminade as they roared out to a 7-1 advantage to open the second set. Their lead swelled to 19-9 to take a two-sets-to-none lead, hitting an impressive .667 in the frame. Their match attack percentage at that juncture was a staggering .600.
The Cougars held a 7-5 lead in the third set before the Silverswords began to re-establish control of the frame thanks to a 13-2 surge, which gave them an 18-9 lead. Although APU closed to within 21-18, CUH forced a pair of hitting errors, then on aloha ball, Stucchi put down her final kill to ensure the sweep.
The 'Swords put down 53 kills to just 11 errors on 92 swings and totaled 49 assists, 31 digs, four blocks and five aces. The Cougars hit .241 with 32 kills, 31 assists, 24 digs and three blocks.
With Point Loma's win over Hawai'i Hilo which finished just minutes after Chaminade earned their win, the Sea Lions improved to 22-0 and 16-0 in the conference. That sets up Friday's mega-showdown between the two PacWest undefeateds in San Diego with the winner getting the inside track to the conference title.
It will be the latest where two undefeated PacWest squads who have double-digit wins will face each other. The previous mark was on Oct. 30, 2012 when 13-0 BYU-Hawai'i faced an 11-0 Fresno Pacific squad in Fresno, which was won by the Seasiders.
Friday's match begins at 4 p.m. Hawai'i time. The Sea Lions have won the last three meetings against the 'Swords and will be the only meeting between the two teams in the regular season.
