Box Score

HONOLULU – Coming back from a 2-0 deficit, the No. 10 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (7-2, 3-0 Chevron) beat the No. 9 Washington Huskies (7-1, 2-1) 20-25, 27-29, 26-24, 25-14 and 16-14 in front of a crowd of 7,325 to win the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational at the Stan Sheriff Center Saturday.

 

Jamie Houston led the way with 27 kills while Kanani Herring had her fourth double-double with 21 kills, 16 digs and four blocks. Amber Kaufman broke the school record with 11 service aces, adding 10 kills, six digs and two blocks. Stephanie Ferrell came off the bench to post nine kills while Aneli Cubi-Otineru and Tara Hittle chimed in 17 and 12 digs in the back row, respectively. Dani Mafua set the UH attack with 63 assists and seven digs.

 

Washington used an early 5-1 run to take a 7-3 lead early in the first set. A block by Kaufman and Cubi-Otineru and a Houston kill pulled UH back within a point at 9-8. But Jill Collymore served UW on a 4-0 run to push its lead to 13-8. The Husky lead got up to 15-9 and 21-16 before UH started to mount a comeback. Kaufman put away a big kill before stepping behind the service line and serving the Rainbow Wahine to get within two at 21-19. After trading sideouts, UW put it away 25-20, taking the final point of the set on a let serve that fell on UH's side of the court.

 

Hawai`i started the second set hot, jumping out to an early 13-8 lead. But Washington answered back on the serve of Tamari Miyashiro. Miyashiro served UW on a 6-0 run that gave Washington the lead at 14-13. The Huskies got their lead to 22-18 before Kaufman served three-straight points to pull within a point at 22-21. A Kindra Carlson kill gave UW set point at 24-22. But Herring but away a kill, then two blocks, to give Hawai`i their own set point at 25-24. Carlson put away another kill before a kill by Airial Salvo put UW ahead 26-25. The Rainbow Wahine held off two more set points before Washington put it away 29-27.

 

UH started its comeback in the third. After giving up the first two points, Kaufman served the Rainbow Wahine on a 5-0 run that included two aces, forcing an early timeout by Washington. UW would battle back, tying it at 8-8, then taking the lead back at 11-10. From then on, neither team could pull away. The teams would be tied at every point from eight to 24, giving the lead back-and-forth the whole way. Ferrell put away a kill before Houston bounced the last two kills to give UH the 26-24 win in the third set.

 

The Rainbow Wahine kept that momentum going in the fourth set. After Washington kept it close early on, Kaufman served a 5-0 run to put UH ahead 13-7. By the time it got around to her serve again, Kaufman served another big run, of 6-0, ending the set with her 10th ace of the night, taking the set 25-14.

 

The fifth set was another tight one. Stephanie Brandt came in to serve a four-point UH run that put them ahead 7-5. But Washington came right back, scoring three in a row to hold an 8-7 edge at the change over. The Huskies battle back, scoring three-straight on Miyashiro's serve to put them ahead 12-10. UW kept that two-point edge at 13-11 before another big 3-0 run by Hawai`i, again on Kaufman's serve, gave UH match point at 14-13. A kill by Salvo kill held off one match point. But Houston had another kill to get the Rainbow Wahine another match point at 15-14. Herring then put it away for good, bouncing a ball down the line to end the match at 16-14.

 

UH next starts Western Athletic Conference play, hosting Idaho and Boise State on Sept. 19 and 20, respectively.