DENVER – The dream ride for Chaminade University women's volleyball continued Saturday.
Behind dual 20-kill performances from
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia HS) and
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS), the No. 13-ranked Silverswords toppled third-ranked MSU Denver, 25-16, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, at the Auraria Event Center in a Colorado Premier Challenge Gold Bracket semifinal match.
The 'Swords (7-2) will face No. 9 West Texas A&M (5-2) at 3 p.m. Hawai'i time today for the tournament championship at the Auraria Event Center. The Lady Buffs advanced to the title match with a five-set win over No. 5 Concordia-St. Paul earlier in the day.
The Roadrunners, who suffered their first loss of the year to fall to 6-1, became just the latest highly-ranked AVCA squad to fall victim to Chaminade who, in a span of eight days, have beaten the Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 8 teams during their current five-match winning streak.
Cammillucci and Stucchi combined to hit .451 in the match with the latter hitting .529 alone. Stucchi also had four blocks as did freshman
Erica Roberts (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani)
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) added six kills and two blocks for Chaminade.
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) dished out 36 assists with 10 digs while
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) led the 'Swords with 16 digs. Talpash also had three of the team's nine service aces.
In the opening set, Chaminade out-hit MSU Denver, .324-to-.143, and used an 11-1 surge behind eight combined kills from Cammillucci and Stucchi, the former who also added an ace, for a convincing first set win.
The Roadrunners, determined to defend their home floor, built a 21-17 edge in the second set and held a 23-22 advantage but Cammillucci's kills knotted the score at 23. Talpash and Stucchi then combined for a block followed by Stucchi's set-ending kill, giving the 'Swords a two-set lead.
In the third, Chaminade was poised to end the match via sweep, grabbing a 23-18 lead. However, four CUH hitting errors opened the door for a stunning 7-0 MSU Denver run to force a fourth set and also end the 'Swords' run of 14 consecutive sets won.
The fourth set was nothing short of a boxing match with both teams landing counter-punches. The largest lead in the set was Chaminade, which led by four at three times, and again led late with a 22-20 edge. However, the Roadrunners clawed back, and tied the set at 23. Stucchi's kill set up aloha ball and MSUD's subsequent attack, which landed out and upheld on an official review, allowed the 'Swords to escape with yet another quality road win against a highly ranked opponent.
Chaminade put down 58 kills with 52 assists, 58 digs and nine aces. MSU Denver had 46 kills, 45 assists, 51 digs, and out-blocked the 'Swords, 9-to-6, but got only one service ace.
Today's Colorado Premier Challenge title match against West Texas A&M will be just the second all-time meeting between the two programs which last faced each other on Oct. 13, 1992, won by WTAM at McCabe Gymnasium. The Lady Buffs have won three Division II national titles, their last in 2022.
