POMONA, Calif. – Back on Sept. 29, the Chaminade University women's volleyball team faced San Francisco State in what was a rare backend of a road doubleheader in the early stages of the conference season.
The Gators, who had the advantage of not playing earlier in the afternoon, handed the Silverswords a four-set loss in the Bay Area that evening. What came out of it for Chaminade was a program-record 18-match winning streak and an undefeated Pacific West Conference title over the next two-plus months.
The 'Swords were seeking some payback when the two teams met again on Friday with much-higher stakes on the line at the NCAA West Regional semifinal at Kellogg Arena. However, the result was the same.
Third-seeded Chaminade rolled to decisive first-set win but their white-hot start cooled significantly to the No. 2-seeded Gators, 13-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-21. The Silverswords, ranked No. 4 in the AVCA poll, saw their season end in the regional semifinals for the second straight year, finishing at 28-5.
"We wished we were the ones advancing," said head coach
Kahala Kabalis Hoke. "But at the end of the day, we know we didn't do what we needed to do to be that team advancing. Kudos to SF State for really bringing it."
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS), who did not play in the first meeting because of an illness, put down a match-high 16 kills with 13 digs and three blocks to conclude her only season in a CUH uniform. She also recorded a service ace, the 61st of the season, to break the single-season program record previously held by Danielle Robins set in 1997.
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) concluded her two-year Silverswords' playing career with 12 kills with seven digs while fellow seniors
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) and
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) added 11 kills with two blocks and six kills and three blocks, respectively.
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS), who grabbed the starting setter reigns in fall camp, finished her two-year Chaminade career with 41 assists, 11 digs, three aces and three kills while libero
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) wrapped up her three years as a 'Sword with 19 digs.
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio), Chaminade's only starter who is an underclassman, had six kills and 10 digs.
San Francisco State (23-6), ranked No. 21 in the AVCA poll but did not have an NCAA Tournament win entering this year's regional, got 15 kills each from Izzy Issak and Tamiya Wilson to advance the West Regional final. They will face No. 1 seed and host Cal Poly Pomona for the region title and a berth into the NCAA's elite eight in South Dakota next week.
The Silverswords wasted very little time in establishing dominance, opening up an 11-6 first set lead. During that stretch, Cammillucci got her record-breaking ace, surpassing Robins' mark which stood for the last 27 years. The 'Swords continued to pile on with another big run, this time at 11-3, to comfortably take the opener. Chaminade hit a whopping .484 in the set and did not commit a hitting error.
Chaminade's momentum continued early in the next set as they stormed out to a 12-6 lead, paced by three Ka'apuni kills. The 'Swords' lead swelled to 17-11 but the offense stalled as they committed eight attack, service and receiving errors, allowing the Gators to rally and take the second set to tie the match at 1.
In the crucial third set, the teams traded the first 10 combined points before SFSU got the first natural point on a 'Swords' attack error. Knotted at 15, the Gators scored three straight and the Silverswords could not string together consecutive points to fall behind in the match, two-sets-to-one advantage.
With their backs to the preverbal wall, the 'Swords rushed out to a 9-4 advantage but SFSU re-captured the momentum on a 6-0 run as seemingly each ball landed in and CUH's would land out as they fell behind, 16-13. Chaminade clawed back to within five one-point margins towards the end but, like the conclusion of the second set, could not get crucial natural points to overtake the Gators.
Chaminade hit .240 with 55 kills, 50 assists, 68 digs, five aces and five total team blocks in its final match of the season.
San Francisco State hit at a .247 clip with 48 kills, 47 assists, 63 digs, four aces and six team blocks.
"We just left the locker room saying, 'Everybody hold your head up high,'" Kabalis Hoke said. "A 20-0 undefeated conference season is nothing to be sad about and we get to walk away knowing we did something really special this year and so I'm incredibly proud of our team and every single one of the players who have sacrificed and dedicated so much to this season and so we're beyond appreciative."
