Box Score (html)

HONOLULU – Emily Hartong recorded 20 kills and 16 digs and the No. 7 University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team survived a major scare to beat No. 23 Creighton in five sets on Day 2 of the Shocker Volleyball Classic. The Blue Jays rallied from two sets down before Hawai'i (10-1) won set five to take the match 25-17, 25-16, 19-25, 20-25, 15-9.  

Tai Manu-Olevao drilled 14 kills for Hawai'i to eclipse her career-high she set just a day ago. Ali Longo posted a match-high 23 digs and Kalei Adolpho added 13 kills and hit a team-best .480. Hartong recorded her sixth double-double of the season.

Leah McNary led Creighton (7-3) with 12 kills and Kelli Browning had a match-high eight blocks. CU won the battle at the net with 26 total stuffs compared to UH's eight.

Through two sets, Hawai'i appeared to be cruising to its second sweep of the tournament. The 'Bows opened up a big lead in the first set and won going away, then led the whole second set and closed the frame on an 8-0 run to take the commanding two-set lead.

Hawai'i returned from the locker room only to find the match take a complete 180 turn. CU won sets two and three by comfortable margins to send the match to a fifth set. The Blue Jays opened up an early lead in set three and extended it to 15-9 after a McNary kill. Drills by Hartong and Adolpho cut the lead to 15-12, but CU regrouped and used a 5-0 run to win comfortably. Set four was close most of the way with UH taking a one-point lead off a CU service error. The Jays responded with two straight Browning kills which began a 6-1 run to put Hawai'i away.

With the momentum clearly on Creighton's side, Hartong put the 'Bows on her shoulders and drilled seven fifth-set kills to send UH to its eighth straight win. After a Melanie Jereb (7 kills, 12 digs) kill cut the Rainbow lead to 8-7, an Adolpho kill and two more by Hartong extended the UH lead to four points. The 'Bows maintained the cushion before two straight Hartong kills sealed the win.

Hawai'i will look to complete an undefeated tournament run when it faces host Wichita State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT (2:30 p.m. HT).

-UH-