SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team on Wednesday opened their first Pacific West Conference road trip of the season by outlasting Westmont College at Murchison Gymnasium.
Although the Silverswords won in four sets, the competition seemed evenly matched with either team being capable of earning the win. Three sets went to extra points in the 'Swords' 25-20, 28-26, 24-26, 27-25 victory.
Alizaysha Sopi (Waianae, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Tennessee State University/Kapolei HS) put down a career-high 18 kills while hitting .438 with five blocks for Chaminade, which extended its winning streak to a season-high four, improving to 7-7. Because of the unbalanced schedule, the match did not count in the PacWest standings.
Lillie Hinton (Spicewood, Texas/Lake Travis) added another 11 kills and 10 digs while
Audrah Johnson (Nampa, Idaho/Utah State University/Nampa HS) and
Reina Krueger (Fort Collins, Colo./Liberty Commons) each put down nine with the latter leading the team with seven blocks. Freshman right-side hitter
Beele Wieczorek (Wiesbaden, Germany/Elly-Heuss School) had eight kills, a season high.
Allexis Iramina (Honolulu/Moanalua) dished out a career-best 27 assists with nine digs, three service aces and even had two kills.
Lilinoe Paschoal (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/Baldwin) had 22 assists.
Sina Bauer (Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany/Maximillian-von-Montgelas Gymnasium Vilsbiburg) led the Silverswords with 13 digs. Like Iramina,
Kyra Pagud (Honolulu/Moanalua) had three aces.
Ceanna O'Laughlin and Maddie Finnegan had 15 kills each for the Warriors (6-5), who suffered their first home loss this season.
The 'Swords' closed out the first set with three straight points with their five-point win being the largest point differential at any point of the match.
Chaminade found itself down 23-21 late in the next set before rallying and staving off two set points, taking a two-set lead on a Warriors' attacking error.
The Silverswords were in position for a sweep with a 20-16 lead before Westmont clawed back and forced another set thanks to the service line, ending the stanza on a CUH service error and an ace.
In Set 4, Chaminade was staring at a fifth set, trailing 23-21 before Krueger's kill and an Iramina ace knotted the score at 23. Finally on their third crack at aloha ball, Johnson put down the winner to help the 'Swords survive.
Chaminade hit .253 in the match with 63 kills on 60 assists, 64 digs, 11 aces and 10 total team blocks. Westmont hit .235 with 61 kills, 56 assists, 71 digs, three aces and five blocks.
The Silverswords continue their road trip Friday at Azusa Pacific in a match which will count in the PacWest standings. First set is at 3 p.m. Hawai'i time.
