Volleyball Dropped by St. Mary’s in Challenge Finale

HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's volleyball team concluded the 2025 Hawai'i Challenge on Saturday with a disappointing 25-19, 25-19, 25-17 loss to St. Mary's of Texas at McCabe Gymnasium.
 
Reina Krueger (Fort Collins, Colo./Liberty Commons) put down a match- and career-high 11 kills while hitting .500 for the Silverswords, who fell to 2-2 in the tournament and 2-5 overall.
 
Lillie Hinton (Spicewood, Texas/Lake Travis) added nine kills with Lilinoe Paschoal (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/Baldwin) dishing out 19 assists. Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) added 10 assists and 10 digs.
 
Just 24 hours after setting her career high in digs, Sina Bauer (Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany/Maximillian-von-Montgelas Gymnasium Vilsbiburg) did it again with 17.
 
The Rattlers (1-3) got eight kills from Laurene Robinson. It was the first meeting between the programs since 2008 and St. Mary's first-ever win in four tries in the series between the two sister Marianist institutions.
 
The 'Swords could not find a rhythm against the Rattlers, committing 29 attack errors and nine service errors. Although they held St. Mary's to a .186 hitting percentage, the visitors from San Antonio made just nine hitting errors and had seven service aces to Chaminade's two.
 
Ayjah Landers of Cal State Los Angeles was named the Hawai'i Challenge Most Valuable Player after totaling 67 kills, 12 total blocks and eight service aces.
 
The Silverswords will look to bounce back in their second joint-hosted tournament with Hawai'i Pacific University in the Aloha Stadium Showdown starting Thursday at McCabe Gym when they face Western Washington University at 5 p.m. UC Merced and Western Washington will meet in Thursday's first match at noon.