Volleyball Splits in Aloha State Showdown Finale

HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team wrapped up the Aloha State Showdown on Saturday with a morning-evening split of their final two matches of the tournament at McCabe Gymnasium.
 
The Silverswords, ranked 24th in the AVCA poll, were bounced by Florida Tech, 24-26, 25-18, 27-25, 25-16, in the morning opener then righted the ship with a 25-27, 25-12, 25-21, 25-11 win over UC Merced in the tournament finale later a few hours later.
 
After Saturday's rough start to the day, Chaminade responded by holding Merced to a .018 attack percentage and, for the second straight day, tallied 13 total team blocks in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
Audrah Johnson (Nampa, Idaho/Utah State University/Nampa HS) totaled 18 kills on the day while Lillie Hinton (Spicewood, Texas/Lake Travis) added 17 more. Reina Krueger (Fort Collins, Colo./Liberty Commons) was a preverbal wall with 17 total blocks for the 'Swords, who finished the Showdown at 2-2 while their overall record stands at 4-7.
 
Western Washington finished the tournament with a perfect 4-0 mark while the University of Hawai'i Hilo was 3-1 in the event which was also co-hosted by Hawai'i Pacific University.
 
WWU's Delany Speer was named the tournament Most Valuable Player after totaling 53 kills on a .301 percentage, 45 digs and five service aces.
 
FIT 3, CUH 1
After trailing 24-22 in the first set, the 'Swords staved off a pair of set points by running off four straight points, all on kills by Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio), to stun the Panthers in the first meeting between the two programs since 2014.
 
However, Florida Tech pulled a reverse with a set-ending 6-0 run to tie the match. Chaminade had a chance to take the lead, serving for the set at 24-23 but the Panthers ran off four of the next five points to take a 2-1 lead.
 
Florida Tech used a 7-0 run midway through the fourth set to take the match.
 
Johnson had 10 kills for Chaminade followed by Hinton and Mihalik with eight each. Krueger pushed back seven Panther spikes as the Silverswords compiled seven total team blocks.
 
Lilinoe Paschoal (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/Baldwin) and Allexis Iramina (Honolulu/Moanalua) combined for 34 assists while Sina Bauer (Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany/Maximillian-von-Montgelas Gymnasium Vilsbiburg) scooped up a career-high 21 digs.

Cordelia Kearns, who was named to the all-tournament team, had 19 kills for Florida Tech (5-3).
 
Chaminade hit .172 while Florida Tech was at .242. The Panthers put up 60 kills to the 'Swords' 45 and out-dug them, 80-to-68.
 
CUH 3, UCM 1
After the Bobcats grabbed the first set, Chaminade used an 11-2 run which helped enable them to tie the match. They then survived a late Merced rally in the final stages of the second set thanks to a 3-0 run, putting them up 2-1.
 
The Silverswords slammed the door shut, scoring the fourth set's first seven points including a run of three consecutive service aces from Tabby Allen (Leander, Texas/Rouse), who had five on the night, to help them take the match.
 
Chaminade had a balanced attack with nine kills from Hinton and Krueger, and eight more from Johnson and Alizaysha Sopi (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Tennessee State University/Kapolei HS). Meanwhile Krueger recorded 10 total blocks, the most by a Silversword since Lataisia Saulala's 11 in the non-championship spring season in March 2021. Johnson added seven more as well as the 'Swords duplicated Friday's 13-block performance against Central Washington.
 
Paschoal had 18 assists while Iramina chipped in with 13. Bauer made 18 digs.

UC Merced (1-7), in its first season of NCAA Division II membership after moving from the NAIA, was led by Sera Riley's 10 kills.
 
Chaminade amassed 43 kills to UC Merced's 31 and out-hit them, .204-to-.018. The 'Swords also had 13 aces and out-dug the Bobcats, 39-to-35.
 
The Silverswords will face Pacific West Conference foe Dominican University of California on Thursday in non-conference match at McCabe Gym. First serve is at 6 p.m.