ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team on Friday dropped a tough five-set defeat to host University of Alaska Anchorage on the second day of the Hawai'i-Alaska Challenge presented by Alaska Airlines.
Their 26-24, 20-25, 25-23, 25-27, 15-7 loss at the Alaska Airlines Center dropped the ninth-ranked Silveswords to 0-2 on the season, their first such start since 2022.
For the second straight match, freshman outside hitter
Lillie Hinton (Spicewood, Texas/Lake Travis) paced the 'Swords with 11 kills while junior transfer
Alizaysha Sopi (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Tennessee State University/Kapolei HS) added 10 more.
Tabby Allen (Leander, Texas/Rouse) and
Reina Krueger (Fort Collins, Colo./Liberty Commons), who both set career-highs in kills against the University of Alaska on Thursday, surpassed those accomplishments against the Seawolves with nine kills each and combined to hit .344 in the match. Also putting down nine swings was
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane), who also added 17 assists while Krueger had three blocks.
Freshman
Lilinoe Paschoal (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/Baldwin) had 27 assists for the 'Swords while Hinton and
Kyra Pagud (Honolulu/Moanalua) had 12 digs, the first career double-double for the former.
Tia Allen had 12 kills for Alaska Anchorage, which improved to 3-0.
Things were looking chipper for the Silverswords, building several eight-point leads in the opening set including at 16-8. The Seawolves cut away at the deficit but Chaminade appeared to still be in control at 23-20 before UAA rallied to steal the first set.
Six different 'Swords put down at least two kills in Set 2, led by four each from Krueger and freshman
Maylynn Mitchell (Corona, Calif./Orange Lutheran) making her first appearance of the season, as they built another 23-20 lead. This time, CUH managed to finish off the set to square the match.
The third set saw Chaminade once again build a lead, only for Alaska Anchorage to rally back in the final points to take a 2-1 lead. The Silverswords managed to stave off two match points in the fourth and sent it into a fifth on Krueger's eighth kill of the afternoon.
But the 'Swords ran out of steam in the fifth as UAA used a pair of 3-0 runs to win the match.
Chaminade hit .133 to Alaska Anchorage's .189. The 'Swords managed more kills (57-51), assists (54-51) and digs (64-58) while both teams had six service aces. But the Seawolves had the decisive edge in total team blocks, 14-to-5.
The Silverswords will conclude the fifth straight year of the Challenge on Saturday against either Alaska Anchorage again or Alaska at either 7 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. Hawai'i time. Both opponent and time will be determined after the conclusion of the Alaska-Hawai'i Hilo match late Friday.
