Box Score Box Score

HONOLULU - The No. 15 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine (16-5, 8-1 WAC) defeated the Idaho Vandals (7-14, 6-3) 30-17, 25-30, 30-19 and 30-22 in front of a crowd of 6,639 at the Stan Sheriff Center Friday.

Kanoe Kamana`o had a great match, posting 63 assists, 18 digs and five blocks. Jamie Houston hit .340 with 24 kills and 11 digs while Sarah Mason had 19 kills, 12 digs and four aces. Juliana Sanders hit a blazing .688 with 11 kills and six blocks. Kari Gregory had seven kills and six blocks while Amber Kaufman had eight kills and three blocks. Jayme Lee ended the night with 13 digs while Raeceen Woolford came inn to add 12 digs in the back row.

Playing their first match in 10 days, the Rainbow Wahine came out looking anxious and hungry, scoring the first eight points, including a string of three-straight aces, on the serve of Mason. UH let the Vandals within four on a couple occasions, but ran their lead to 12 points at 28-16 before a kill by Houston ended game one, 30-17.

Game two was much more of a fight, as there were 15 ties and seven lead changes. But Idaho took control with a 5-1 run in the middle of the game to go ahead 20-17. Hawai`i got back within a point at 23-22, only to see a huge 5-0 run by the Vandals push them to a 28-22 deficit. UH put up three points, but it wasn't enough as Idaho won game two 30-25, taking a game off the Rainbow Wahine for the first time in the program's history.

UH got off to another quick start in game three, opening a 7-3 edge early on. Idaho was able to pull back within three points on a couple occasions, but never really posed a threat. Up 26-14, Hawai`i allowed a 5-2 run, pulling it back to 28-19, before kills by Mason and Houston ended game three, 30-19.

The Rainbow Wahine were looking to get off to another fast start in game four, scoring five of the first seven points. But the Vandals scratched their way back into it, tying the score at 9-9. From that point, there would be six ties before a quick four-point spurt pushed UH to a 19-15 edge. Hawai`i would end up scoring 11 of the last 16 points as back-to-back kills by Mason ended the game 30-22.

UH returns to the court on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 5 p.m. for a conference match vs. San Jose State, at the Stan Sheriff Center.

-UH-