Box Score Box Score

RENO, Nev. - The No. 12 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (25-5) advanced to the WAC Tournament Championship game with a 30-26, 30-27 and 30-24 sweep over San Jose State (19-12) Thursday at the Lawlor Events Center.

Jamie Houston led the way, hitting .391 with 25 kills, nine digs and three blocks. Kanoe Kamana`o added 50 assists, seven digs and five blocks while Sarah Mason had 16 kills, 14 digs and four solo blocks. Jayme Lee came up with 21 digs in the back row, while Juliana Sanders (seven kills, six blocks, .462 hitting) and Kari Gregory (seven blocks, seven digs) led the way at the net. Amber Kaufman added six kills and five blocks.

Hawai`i opened the first game with a 5-2 edge off the strength of two blocks by Gregory and Houston and a kill by Houston. SJSU came back to tie it at 9-9, starting a big back-and-forth battle. Neither team got a lead of more than two points until a late five-point run on the serve of Houston got UH to game point at 29-24. The Spartans fought off a couple points before a kill by Mason ended game one, 30-26.

Houston again served Hawai`i on a 5-0 run early in game two, pushing the Rainbow Wahine to a 11-5 edge. UH got it to 14-6 before SJSU started a long comeback. The Spartans finally got back in it at 28-26. But Hawai`i eventually put it away, as a block by Sanders and Kaufman ended game two 30-27.

UH again opened an early lead in game three, going ahead 6-2 and 13-6. The Spartans would make a run to cut their deficit back to 15-11, but were never able to get any closer. SJSU got with four on a couple more occasions, getting within three at 27-24 on a service ace. But UH responded, scoring the final three points to take game three 30-24, winning the match in a sweep.

The Rainbow Wahine will now face the No. 21 New Mexico State Aggies in the WAC Tournament Championship match at 7:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. HST). The two teams split their season series this year.

-UH-