DENVER – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team on Friday opened the Colorado Premier Challenge with wins over Wayne State of Nebraska and Wheeling University at the Auraria Event Center.
The Silverswords, ranked No. 13 in the this week's AVCA Division II Top 25 Poll and making their Challenge debut, got a balanced attack with four players with eight or more kills as they upended the Wildcats, ranked second in the poll, in the opener, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23.
The win was their third straight over a nationally ranked opponent. Combined with their sweep over Cal State Los Angeles last weekend, the Silverswords own wins over the Nos. 1 and 2-ranked squads in the nation in the past six days.
Chaminade (6-2) then completed pool play with a 26-24, 25-21, 25-15 victory over Wheeling University as
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS) put down a match-high 16 kills.
Cammillucci combined for 25 kills on the day while
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) chipped in with 20 and
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio) and
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) added 16 more each.
Match 1: #13 CUH 3, #2 WSC 2
The momentum from last weekend's Yotes Classic Showcase seemed to carry over into the opening points of the first set with Chaminade opening up a 12-5 lead, thanks to a pair of kills and aces from both Cammillucci and Mihalik.
The Wildcats charged back and caught the 'Swords at 21 before two Ka'apuni kills set up set point, which ended with an ace from
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS).
Both teams in Set 2 established three-point leads with Wayne State grabbing as many as an 18-14 lead. But the Silverswords' 6-0 run, highlighted by four points from
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS), including three consecutive service aces, gave them a 20-18 edge. WSC would knot the score at 20 and 21 before the 'Swords reached set point at 24-23 with Stucchi finishing the frame to give them a two-set lead.
Like in the previous set, the Wildcats grabbed an early edge and owned a late 23-21 advantage as they looked to force a fourth set. However, the 'Swords got kills from Cammillucci and Ka'apuni, forced an attack error to set up aloha ball, where Cammilllucci put down the winner, giving them another win against a top-8 foe and handing Wayne State not only its first loss of the season but first via sweep since November 2021.
Ka'apuni and Mihalik each had 10 kills with Cammilluchi adding nine more.
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) and Stucchi each had eight kills while Talpash, in addition to her 33 assists and eight digs, put down four kills of her own.
Despite being out-hit .269-to-.208 and out-blocked, 6-to-2, the Silveswords countered with 10 aces, four from Talpash and two from Inoue, the latter getting 15 digs. Chaminade had 49 kills, 46 assists and 48 digs in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Taya Beller led Wayne State (4-1) with 14 kills. The Wildcats posted 40 kills, 36 assists and 40 digs.
Match 2: #13 CUH 3, WU 0
Back on the court with less than two hours of rest, the 'Swords found themselves trailing most of the opening set to the Cardinals and faced a 24-21 deficit, putting their nine-set win streak in jeopardy.
However, the 'Swords found a way to reel off five straight points, both beginning and ending the run on Cammillucci kills to help them basically steal the first set.
The rally seemed to give Chaminade its second wind as a 5-0 surge midway through the second set, forged a 17-12 lead, which grew to as many as six late. The 'Swords did not commit an attack error in the second set and hit .606 in the frame to take a 2-0 lead.
The Silverswords then ran away in what was the final set, using an 8-1 surge early to win the match and also extend their streak of consecutive sets won to 12.
Along with Cammillucci's 16 kills, Ka'apuni added 10 and hit .421 while Lopez added nine more. Stucchi contributed with eight and an attack percentage of .412 as Chaminade hit .359 as a team.
Wheeling (1-4) got 12 kills from Riley Kindall.
With a 2-0 tournament mark to end pool play, the Silverswords advance to the Colorado Premier Challenge Gold Bracket semifinals where they will face a Pool 4 opponent (No. 3 MSU Denver, No. 17 Central Missouri or Dallas Baptist) at 7:30 a.m. Hawai'i time.
The Gold Bracket third place or championship match will follow later in the afternoon.
