Box Score HONOLULU - After having their 205-match winning streak against unranked opponents end the previous night, the No. 9 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (7-6) exacted revenge on the Loyola Marymount Lions (11-2) with a 30-17, 31-29 and 30-25 victory in front of a boisterous crowd of 7,441 at the Stan Sheriff Center Saturday.
Victoria Prince led the way with 13 kills, six blocks and five digs. Kanoe Kamana`o had another solid night with 43 assists, 15 digs and five blocks while Ashley Watanabe put up 22 digs. Alicia Arnott also played well, coming up with 12 kills and four blocks while Juliana Sanders had seven kills and five blocks.
LMU started off the match where they left off the night before, jumping out to a 5-1 edge. But UH stormed back with a three-point run and a four-point run on two kills and two blocks by Prince, putting the Rainbow Wahine up 11-9 and forcing a Lion timeout. Hawai`i kept the pressure on, taking another run of 7-1 to hold an 18-11 advantage that forced LMU to use their final timeout. Kamana`o would serve another big UH run, of seven-straight points, before back-to-back kills by Mason put it away, 30-17.
The Lions again opened a big lead to start game two, going up 4-0 to force an early timeout by Head Coach Dave Shoji. Hawai`i scored four-straight to tie before LMU ran off nine of the next 11 points to go up 13-6. Loyola Marymount got their lead as high as 22-13 before UH started their comeback, inspired by Tara Hittle's substitution into the front row. They whittled away at the deficit for a while, still trailing 27-20, before running off eight of the next night points to tie the score at 28. Heather Hughes put away a kill to get the Lions to game point at 29-28. But the `Bows responded as a kill by Hittle and an error by LMU set up game point for UH. Hawai`i wasted little time putting it away as Prince tipped home the game-winner, giving the Rainbow Wahine the improbable 31-29 game two victory.
Hawai`i used the momentum of their emotional win in game two to start the third game with a 5-1 edge. UH continued their push, holding a 19-12 lead before LMU responded with a quick three points to get back within four at 19-15. UH then stepped it up, scoring seven of the next 10 points to put the Lions on the ropes at 28-20. LMU wasn't done as they rattled off five-straight to cut it to 28-25, but it was Hawai`i's night as a kill by Arnott and a block by Kari Gregory and Susie Boogaard ended it at 30-25.
The Rainbow Wahine will now go on their first WAC road trip of the season, playing at Louisiana Tech on Sept. 29 before playing their first match ever at New Mexico State on Oct. 1. Both matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in their respective time zones.
In the alumnae match that preceded UH's victory, the white team won 30-23 and 30-29. Heide Ilustre led the white with seven kills. Leah Karratti had six kills and three blocks. Lauren Duggins had three kills and four blocks and Tanja Nikolic and Kristal Attwood added five kills apiece. The green team was led by Hedder Ilustre's seven kills. Melissa Villaroman and Heather Bown also added six kills for the green.
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