Box Score HONOLULU - Despite missing All-American
Victoria Prince to a stomach flu, the No. 11 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (14-6, 8-0 WAC) defeated the Utah State Aggies (13-9, 5-3) 30-20, 30-28 and 30-19 in front of a crowd of 6,415 at the Stan Sheriff Center Thursday, running their WAC conference winning streak to 100 matches.
Sarah Mason hit .324 with 15 kills, four digs and two blocks. Kanoe Kamana`o added another solid match with 43 assists, five digs, four blocks and an ace while Juliana Sanders hit .500 with 10 kills and four blocks. Kari Gregory stepped up in Prince's absence, hitting .412 with eight kills while Tara Hittle put away 10 kills and 12 digs. Ashley Watanabe added 13 digs and an ace in the back row.
Hawai`i got out to a quick 9-4 lead to start the first game with five different hitters putting away at least one kill each in the run. Kamana`o then did some of the scoring herself as she put away two solo blocks to go with three kills by Mason in a 5-1 run that made it 16-10. The Aggies stayed in it, holding the deficit at 23-19 before 6-0 run on the serve of Kamana`o put the Rainbow Wahine ahead 29-19 before taking the game 30-20. UH hit .486 on the game with 21 kills.
After going ahead 4-2 to start the second game, Hawai`i found themselves without the lead for the first time in the match after a three-point Aggie run put UH behind 5-4. The two teams traded points for a while before USU put up another three-point run to make it 12-8, forcing Hawai`i Head Coach Dave Shoji to call a timeout. Utah State got it to 15-10 before the Rainbow Wahine began to whittle away at the lead, getting within one at 20-19. After a Beth Hodge kill put the Aggies ahead 23-21, Hawai`i took control, running off six-straight points, capped by an ace by Susie Boogaard, giving UH a 27-23 edge. USU was able to get back within a point at 28-27, but Mason put away UH's final two points to give Hawai`i the 30-28 victory in game two.
The Rainbow Wahine got up early in game three, taking a 6-1 lead before USU Head Coach Burt Fuller called a quick timeout. But the Aggies were never able to get within two points again as UH ended the match with another 6-0 run, taking it 30-19.
The Rainbow Wahine will go for their 100th straight WAC win on Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Stan Sheriff Center against San Jose State.
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