Box Score

HONOLULU – The No. 6 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (27-3) won a thriller over the Cal Poly Mustangs (16-12) 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 19-25 and 15-13 in front of a crowd of 5,627 at the Stan Sheriff Center Wednesday.

 

Nickie Thomas stole the show, posting a career-high 11 blocks and nine kills while hitting .389. Jamie Houston had a match-high 19 kills and six blocks while Kanani Danielson posted 16 kills and eight digs. Aneli Cubi-Otineru had seven kills, three blocks and 12 digs. Tara Hittle and #Elizabeth Ka`aihue# had 14 and 11 digs, respectively, while Amber Kaufman added nine kills and a .412 hitting percentage.

 

The Rainbow Wahine looked a little rusty off their WAC Tournament championship, giving up a 5-1 lead to start the first set. Three consecutive points, capped by an ace by Cubi-Otineru, cut it back to 6-5. Cal Poly kept the lead until a big 6-1 UH run put them ahead for the first time at 21-20. The teams traded sideouts until kills by Houston and Thomas ended the set, 25-23.

 

The Mustangs took a 10-7 lead to start the second, only to see three-straight points by Hawai`i tie it at 10-10. The teams traded 3-0 runs before Kylie Atherstone served three aces in a row to cap a four-point run that put Cal Poly ahead 17-13. UH reeled off four of the next five points to pull it back to 18-17. The Mustangs again surged ahead 22-19 before a four-point UH run got them their first lead at 23-22. But Cal Poly had one last run, scoring the final three points of the set to take it 25-23.

 

A five-point Cal Poly run, capped by three-straight aces by Gaby Rivera, put the Mustangs ahead 10-5 early in the third set. UH climbed back into it with a 4-0 run, only to see CP score six of the next eight to claim a 16-11 edge. A 5-1 run by the Rainbow Wahine got UH within a point at 17-16 before Houston took over. The WAC Player of the Year scored five points in a 6-0 UH run to put them ahead 22-18. Houston would then put away the set-winner, giving Hawai`i the 25-20 win.

 

Cal Poly scored the first four points of the fourth set, and held it throughout the early moments of the set. UH pulled it back to 10-8 before a 5-1 Mustang run got it up 15-9. Hawai`i responded with a 6-2 run that cut it back to 17-15. But Cal Poly had the last spurt, scoring the final four points of the set to take it 25-19.

 

UH opened a 3-1 edge to start the fifth, only to see a 6-1 Cal Poly run give the Mustangs a 7-4 advantage. They kept that three-point cushion until a big 4-0 run on the serve of Kaufman put Hawai`i ahead 12-11. After trading four sideouts, Ka`aihue set Danielson the match-winner, giving the Rainbow Wahine an exciting 15-13 victory.

 

The two teams play again Friday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m. in the regular season finale. The match also marks senior night as UH's four senior will be honored after the match.