HONOLULU – The No. 11 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (2-2) outlasted the No. 12 Minnesota Golden Gophers (3-1) 25-22, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25 and 15-7 in front of a crowd of 5,564 in The Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge at the Stan Sheriff Center Thursday.

 

Kanani Herring had her second-straight double-double with 21 kills, 16 digs and a .366 hitting percentage. Aneli Cubi-Otineru added 13 kills, 17 digs and two aces while Amber Kaufman hit .409 with 12 kills and five blocks. Jamie Houston posted 15 kills, eight digs and three blocks with Dani Mafua posting another double-double with 51 assists and 11 digs.

 

The Rainbow Wahine and Golden Gophers traded points for much of the first set as no team held a lead of more than two points until a quick four-point run by UH put them ahead 15-12. Hawai`i expanded their lead to 20-15, only to see a five-point Minnesota run tie it at 20-20. But the Rainbow Wahine quickly responded, scoring the next three to go ahead 23-20. From there, UH just had to side out its way to victory, taking the first set 25-22.

 

The second set was just as tight as neither team held a lead of more than two points until they were both in the 20s. Down 18-16, the Rainbow Wahine used a 4-0 run, capped by a block by Kaufman and Houston, to take a two-point lead at 20-18. But Jessica Granquist came into the game and served Minnesota on a six-point run to get to set point at 24-20. Hawai`i held off one set point before the Golden Gophers closed out the second set, 25-21.

 

UH came out fired up in the third set, scoring the first three points. UH took its lead to 4-1 and 8-5 before a little 3-1 run by the Gophers pulled them within a point at 9-8. Hawai`i responded with three-straight points to go ahead 12-8 and never looked back. The Rainbow Wahine kept at least a two-point cushion the rest of the way, scoring five of the last seven points to take the third set 25-19.

 

Hawai`i surged ahead 3-0 and 7-3 to start the fourth set, only to see a 4-1 Minnesota run pull it back to 8-7. UH got its lead to 10-7 before a big 7-1 Gopher run put UM ahead 14-11. The Rainbow Wahine pulled back within at point at 14-13, only to see Minnesota run their lead back up to 17-14. UH pulled back within a point on a few occasions before a quick 3-0 Gopher run got it to 22-18. Hawai`i came back to pull within a point at 24-22 before a kill by Lauren Gibbemeyer put away the fourth set 25-22.

 

The Rainbow Wahine opened with a 3-1 lead in the fifth set. After allowing a point, UH went on a five-point run to take a 8-2 lead at the changeover. Hawai`i pushed it to 11-3 before eventually taking the match with a 15-7 victory in the fifth set.

 

Hawai`i hosts the second day of The Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge, facing Wyoming at 7 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center tomorrow.