POMONA, Calif. – In 2023, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team was the NCAA West Region's No. 1 seed and were poised to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Instead, the Pacific West Conference champion Silverswords (27-4, 20-0 PacWest) were bounced in the second round, putting a disappointing end to a season that saw them win a record 30 matches.
And while 2024 has already been a most memorable season with multiple upsets of Division II heavyweights at the start of the season, the highest-ever national ranking in program history at No. 4, the PacWest's first undefeated conference slate in seven years and a third conference championship in the last four seasons, the 'Swords know none of it will matter unless they get to the biggest pot at the end of the rainbow – a regional title and berth into the NCAA's elite eight of volleyball.
On Thursday, Chaminade will take that first step in what it hopes will be the run they have yearned for nearly a decade. The 'Swords, the No. 3 seed, will face sixth-seeded Stanislaus State, the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) tournament champs, in a first-round tilt at Cal Poly Pomona's Kellogg Arena.
All matches in the West Regional will be streamed on FloCollege and is free of charge. No subscription or account will be required to watch.
NCAA WEST REGIONAL (Kellogg Arena; Pomona, Calif.; Dec. 5-7)
First Round, Dec. 5 (all times Hawai'i Standard)
9:00 a.m.: #4 Point Loma (PacWest, 25-1) vs. #5 Central Washington (GNAC, 18-6)
11:30 a.m.: #1 Cal Poly Pomona (CCAA, 23-3) vs. #8 Simon Fraser (GNAC, 17-8)
2:30 p.m.: #3
CHAMINADE (PacWest, 27-4) vs. #6 Stanislaus State (CCAA, 22-7)
5:00 p.m.: #2 San Francisco State (CCAA, 21-6) vs. #7 Cal State Los Angeles (CCAA, 18-10)
Semifinals, Dec. 6
2:00 p.m.: #4/5 winner vs. #1/8 winner
5:00 p.m.: #3/6 winner vs. #2/7 winner
West Region Championship, Dec. 7
3:00 p.m.: Winner advances to the NCAA Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Tournament Central Page
NCAA Interactive Bracket
Live links:
Live free video vs Stanislaus State (FloCollege) |
Live stats (all matches)
Official NCAA Division II Volleyball Tournament Digital Program
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets Link
Will only be available at the gate. Only credit/debit cards will be accepted. Cash will not be accepted.
CHAMINADE vs. STANISLAUS STATE
All-time series record: Chaminade leads 3-0.
Last meeting: Oct. 9, 2023 in Turlock, Calif.; CUH won 3-1. Outside hitter
Heavenly Campbell put down a career-high 16 kills and hit .306 in the match while setter
Leilani Ama had 36 assists and 14 digs.
ABOUT THE SILVERSWORDS (27-4, 20-0; PacWest champions; AVCA ranking #4)
Chaminade is making its seventh all-time NCAA postseason appearance and fourth in the past five championship seasons (excluding 2020 when the NCAA did not hold a championship) … their current No. 4 AVCA ranking is the highest in program history … finished with an undefeated conference slate for the first time in program history and are the first PacWest team to finish with an unblemished conference schedule since California Baptist also went 20-0 in 2017 … the Silverswords' current 17-match winning streak a program record … have won 26 straight conference matches with their last PacWest loss coming on Oct. 28, 2023 at Point Loma … during a span of seven days in early September, defeated the AVCA's Nos. 1 (Cal State LA), 2 (Wayne State), 3 (MSU Denver) and 8 (Cal State San Bernardino) ranked teams (rankings at the time of competition) … in their first-ever appearance in the prestigious Colorado Premier Challenge in September, advanced to the Gold Bracket championships before losing in five sets to then-No. 9 West Texas A&M.
'SWORDS TO WATCH
#4 Mahala Ka'apuni (OH; Sr.; Hilo, Hawai'i)
First Team All-PacWest … played two seasons at Alaska Anchorage (2020-21) before transferring to Chaminade in 2022 and sat out as a redshirt … set career season highs in 2024 in total kills (302), digs (121), aces (31) and blocks (51.0) … has 877 career kills during her time at CUH and Anchorage.
#5 Letizia Cammillucci (OH; Gr.; Padova, Italy)
First Team All-PacWest … transfer from San Jose State … leads the PacWest in service aces with 58 at 0.54 per set … ninth in the conference in kills (2.99/set) and sixth in points (3.65/set) … MVP of the Colorado Premier Challenge … named the AVCA Division II Player of the Week on Sept. 17 … team's kills average leader at 2.99 per set and points per set at 3.65 … has 58 aces, three away from breaking the school's single season record set in 1997.
#7 Nanna Inoue (L; 5th year Sr.; Kula, Hawai'i)
Team's digs leader at 3.32 per set … second in total aces with 34 … currently ranks seventh in the school's all-time digs list with 971and 10th in aces with 103 … entering the regional, has reached double-digit digs in 13 of her last 15 matches including a current streak of nine straight.
#8 Kendall Rios (OH; 5th year Sr.; Tustin, Calif.)
A fifth-year senior, is currently fourth in the program's all-time aces list with 118 and needs two to move into third … has played in 141 career matches, the most-ever in program history … has a twin sister, Morgan, who plays water polo at the University of Hawai'i … her aunt is three-time tennis grand slam winner and Olympic gold medalist Lindsay Davenport.
#12 Malena Mihalik (OH; Fr.; Sante Fe, Argentina)
Averages 1.79 kills and 2.00 digs per set in her freshman season … has put down 27 aces … has four double-digit kill matches and six doubles-digits in digs … has three double-doubles including a 10-kill, 19-dig effort at San Francisco State on Sept. 29.
#16 Lizanyela Lopez (MB; Sr.; Lima, Peru)
First Team All-PacWest and is a two-time all-conference selection … fourth in the PacWest in hitting percentage (.343) … team's leader in total blocks (86) and blocks per set (0.74) … has 199 total blocks and is just five total blocks away from cracking the program's top 10.
#20 Grace Talpash (S; Gr.; Temecula, Calif.)
PacWest Setter of the Year and first team all-conference … finished second in the PacWest in assists per set (9.37) … spreads the attack to six players who average over one kill per set in 50 or more sets played … a six-rotation player, also has 90 kills, 38 total blocks, 221 digs and 31 aces … has 1,087 assists, just the fifth player in school history with over 1,000 assists in a single season … attended 2019 season at the University of San Francisco then 2020-22 at Oklahoma.
#21 Anna Stucchi (MB; Gr.; Roncello, Italy)
PacWest Newcomer of the Year and first team all-conference … transfer from Santa Clara University … third nationally in hitting percentage at .441 which is also on pace to break the school record … 10th in the PacWest in points per set (3.44) … in matches with eight or more kills, has hit .400 or better 20 times … tied a school record by hitting .917 (11 kills, no errors, 12 attempts) at Azusa Pacific on Nov. 13.
HEAD COACH KAHALA KABALIS HOKE (13th year; career record, 241-130)
Chaminade's all-time winningest coach … a three-time PacWest Coach of the Year (2021, 2022, 2024) … has been a part of all seven of Chaminade's NCAA postseason teams; two as an All-PacWest outside hitter (2002, 2004) and five as head coach (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) … since 2021, has an overall record of 110-22 and PacWest mark of 73-7 … has guided Chaminade to six straight 20-win seasons, excluding the 2020 non-championship COVID season that was played in the spring of 2021 … prior to her arrival in 2012, the program had just one 20-win season since the sport was initiated in 1984.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (22-7, 12-6; CCAA 3rd; AVCA ranking #24)
Stanislaus State is making its NCAA postseason debut … defeated San Francisco State and Cal State LA in the CCAA Tournament to earn the conference's automatic bid … SSU made its AVCA poll debut at No. 24, the program's first-ever national ranking … the Warriors are currently riding a seven-match winning streak … although the Warriors do not have a player in the CCAA top 10 in kills, five players who have played at least 61 sets average over 2.00 kills per set, led by Isabella Saucedo's 2.71 average … Stan State boasts the top blocking squad in the CCAA at 2.55 per set, led by Alex Byrd's conference-best 1.27 while Autumn Kirby is right behind her at 1.08 … libero Gabby Rawson has the highest digs per set rate in the CCAA at 4.54.
CHAMINADE vs. OTHER WEST REGION PARTICIPANTS
Cal Poly Pomona: CUH leads 6-2. Last meeting; Sept. 5, 2024 (CPP 3-1)
Cal State LA: CSULA leads 10-5. Last meeting; Sept. 6, 2024 (CUH 3-0)
Central Washington: CWU leads 5-3. Last meeting; Sept. 2, 2022 (CWU 3-2)
Point Loma: PLNU leads 12-9. Last meeting; Nov. 15, 2024 (CUH 3-1)
San Francisco State: CUH leads 7-5. Last meeting; Sept. 29, 2024 (SFSU 3-1)
Simon Fraser: CUH leads 5-2. Last meeting; Sept. 1, 2023 (CUH 3-1)
CHAMINADE IN THE REGIONALS
All-time NCAA regional record: 4-6
All-time NCAA postseason results
Nov. 21, 2022 (Pacific Regional; San Bernardino, Calif.)
L, 0-3; UC San Diego
Nov. 18-19, 2004 (Pacific Regional; La Jolla, Calif.)
W, 3-0; Cal State Los Angeles
L, 1-3; Cal State San Bernardino
Nov. 15, 2018 (West Regional; Bellingham, Wash.)
L, 0-3; Cal State San Bernardino
Dec. 2, 2021 (West Regional; San Bernardino, Calif.)
L, 1-3; Central Washington
Nov. 17-19, 2022 (West Regional; Bellingham, Wash.)
W, 3-2; Alaska Anchorage
W, 3-0; Cal Poly Pomona
L, 0-3; Cal State Los Angeles
Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2023 (West Regional; San Bernardino, Calif.)
W, 3-0; San Francisco State
L, 0-3; Cal State Los Angeles
