Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. – The third-ranked University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team began a three-match road trip with a 3-1 victory over Fresno State on Thursday night at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

 

The Rainbow Wahine improve to 19-2 overall and stay unbeaten in WAC play with a 9-0 record. UH has won 15 straight matches and will head to Reno, NV to face Nevada on Saturday night at 7 p.m. PT.

 

UH was led by sophomore Kanani Danielson on Thursday night, who tied a career-high with 22 kills. Danielson hit .425 overall and added seven digs and a solo block.

 

Senior Aneli Cubi-Otineru had 13 kills and hit .407 in the match, to go along with eight digs and three blocks. Amber Kaufman had seven kills and three blocks and Stephanie Ferrell and Brittany Hewitt each had five kills. Defensively, Elizabeth Ka'aihue had 19 digs. Dani Mafua set the offense with 48 assists and added seven digs and three kills.

 

In the first set, UH and Fresno State played a close set earlier on, until the Rainbow Wahine pulled away down the stretch for a 25-19 win. Cubi-Otineru led the offense with five kills and hit .714 for the set. Danielson had four kills, Ferrell had three kills and Kaufman added two. UH hit .414 for the set, while the defense had four blocks and held Fresno State to a .118 hitting percentage.

 

The Rainbow Wahine got behind early in the second set and their comeback fell short, as the Bulldogs won 25-23. Danielson and Kaufman each had four kills in the set. Offensively UH's hitting percentage was .059 in the set, while committing nine errors.

 

UH came out hot after the break and jumped out to a 10-4 lead and went on to win 25-15. UH was led by Danielson, who had six kills on seven swings in the set. Hewitt had three kills and Cubi-Otineru added two kills. The Rainbow Wahine hit .458 in the set and had 11 digs.

 

In the fourth set, both teams went back-and-forth until UH won the final five points for a 25-20 victory. Danielson had eight kills in the set and Cubi-Otineru added five kills. UH hit .368 for the set and had three blocks as a team.