Box Score Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - With Head Coach Dave Shoji missing the match with a stomach flu, the No. 11 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine (20-4, 14-0 WAC) swept the Fresno State Bulldogs (5-21, 3-11) 30-26, 30-25 and 30-23, clinching their 12th-straight Western Athletic Conference title, at the Save Mart Center Friday.

Many of UH's players had contracted the same stomach flu that kept Shoji in Reno. The team was also delayed for two hours on the flight from Reno to San Francisco, before flying over to Fresno for the match. The team finally got into their hotel just three hours before match time.

Aneli Cubi-Otineru played through, hitting .385 with 14 kills and 13 digs. Jamie Houston added 17 kills and 15 digs while Elizabeth Ka`aihue led all players with 16 digs. Juliana Sanders put up nine kills and six blocks while Tara Hittle had six kills, 11 digs and three blocks.

Seven Bulldog blocks and four other hitting errors by Hawai`i helped Fresno State open a 18-15 lead in game one. But the Rainbow Wahine rallied back with a 5-0 run to take a 21-19 edge. UH got their lead to 26-21 before three-straight Bulldog points got it to 26-24. That was as close as Hawai`i closed out game one 30-26. UH had 23 kills in the first game alone, led by Houston (seven) and Cubi-Otineru (six).

Fresno State again took an early lead in game two, going ahead 12-8 on the strength of their defensive play. The Bulldogs got it to 15-10 before a 6-1 Hawai`i run tied the score at 16-16. After another tie at 19-19, Houston caught fire, putting away four-straight kills to start a five-point run that made it 24-19. UH kept rolling the rest of the way, taking game two 30-25.

The Rainbow Wahine came out in game three looking intent to close out their tough road trip quickly, taking a 10-4 lead early on. UH never let up, taking leads of 20-11 and 22-12 before closing it out, 30-23.

Hawai`i will return home to close out the WAC regular season vs. San Jose State, on Nov. 8, and Utah State, on Nov. 11.

-UH-