HONOLULU – One thing the Chaminade University women's volleyball team knows is that their national ranking has put a big red bullseye on their back.
Less than 24 hours removed from their rugged three-set win in their Pacific West Conference opener against Menlo College, the Silverswords were pushed by Dominican University of California but still came out ahead, 26-24, 25-10, 25-23, at McCabe Gymnasium.
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) put down a team-high 10 kills while
Erica Roberts (Aiea, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Mililani) and
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) added eight more each as the Silverswords ended their brief two-match home stand by improving to 9-3 overall and 2-0 in the PacWest. The victory was also the 'Swords' 12th straight against Dominican and with 28 straight sets won.
Chaminade setters
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) and
Allexis Iramina (Honolulu/Moanalua) spread the wealth among their friends with eight others getting at least one kill. Talpash dished out 26 assists while Iramina doled out a season-high 12.
Lizanyela Lopez (Lima, Peru/Trinity Valley CC/Saco Oliveros HS) finished with seven kills and two blocks while
Reina Krueger (Fort Collins, Colo./Liberty Commons) put down a career-high five. Stucci finished with a team-high three blocks.
The Penguins fell to 2-6 and 1-1 in the conference. A day after slamming down 24 kills at Hawai'i Pacific, Reagan Macha led DUC with 12 successful attacks.
Like Menlo the evening before, the Penguins came out fired up and owned as many as an 18-14 lead in the first set and eventually was at the service line for set point at 24-23. However, a kill from
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS) tied it then Ka'apuni dealt an ace to make it set-point CUH. Cammillucci completed the Chaminade comeback with a spike giving the 'Swords the set win.
Set 2 was a complete reversal with Chaminade getting runs of 5-0 and 4-0, building its lead to 19-10.
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) served the set's final five points including both of her aces during the run. The Silverswords held Dominican to a minus-.125 attack percentage with a 90 percent sideout percentage in the frame.
But the Penguins weren't down for long in the third frame, forcing ties at 22 and 23. Lopez's final kill set up aloha ball where Ka'apuni ended the hard-fought match with her final kill to win the match which is also their 48th straight victory over a PacWest Northern California opponent.
Similar to the previous evening, Chaminade used 16 players as key starters got valuable rest time after the past two weeks on the mainland. The 'Swords hit .355, had 47 kills, 42 assists, eight aces and 36 digs with Cammillucci receiving nine. They also amassed five total team blocks.
Dominican was held to a .185 percentage with 28 kills, all on assists with 23 digs and three aces.
The Silverswords will get most of next week off then are back on the mainland when they begin a four-match northern California road trip on Sunday, Sept. 29 at Academy of Art.
