Box Score

FT COLLINS, Colo. – The No. 6 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (31-4) fell to the No. 2 Stanford Cardinal (30-3) 25-19, 25-9 and 25-18 in the NCAA Regional Final match at Moby Arena on the campus of Colorado State Saturday, ending UH's 2008 campaign.

 

Jamie Houston led the way for Hawai`i, posting a match-high 13 kills and two blocks. Kanani Danielson added eight kills and six digs while Aneli Cubi-Otineru posted a match-high 12 digs and six kills. Tara Hittle also added nine digs in her final collegiate match.

 

Hawai`i scored the first two points of the first set before Stanford went on a 4-0, taking the early 4-2 edge. UH pulled back to tie it at 5-5 before a three-point Cardinal run got it to go ahead 8-5. SU kept that lead the rest of the way, siding out while adding a couple points to its lead along the way to the first set 25-19.

 

Alix Klineman served Stanford on a seven-point run to put them ahead 8-2 early in the second set. The Cardinal got it to 13-3 and then 20-4 before closing out the Rainbow Wahine 25-9. UH hit -.162 in the second set with 12 hitting errors.

 

After Cubi-Otineru put away two kills to put UH ahead 2-1, Klineman served a 5-0 run to put Stanford ahead 6-2. Stephanie Brandt served UH on a four-point run to tie it at 7-7. A 5-1 run by the Cardinal got SU a 13-9 lead. A three-point run by Stanford later in the set got it to 18-12. The Cardinal kept plugging away, as a kill by Cynthia Barboza ended it 25-18.

 

The Rainbow Wahine end their season with a record of 31-4, finishing in the round of the regional finals for the second time in the last two seasons. With the loss, seniors Hittle, Houston, Jessica Keefe and Nickie Thomas saw their careers come to an end.