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HONOLULU—The No. 8 University of Hawai'i volleyball team gutted out a four-set win over UC Irvine on Saturday night in the Stan Sheriff Center, 25-17, 25-23, 21-25, 26-24. Three Rainbow Wahine recorded double-digit kills, led by Tai Manu-Olevao's 15 kills. Savanah Kahakai led the 'Bows with 15 digs while Olivia Magill posted a game-high nine blocks at the Stan Sheriff Center with an attendance of 7,102. For Hawai'i, it marked their 13th-straight win as they improved to 18-1 overall. UH remains the only unbeaten team in the Big West at 8-0. The Anteaters fell to 8-11 overall and 2-5 in conference.
 
Next man up. That has been the team's motto as of late. Hawai'i was down three starters to start the match as Nikki Taylor—UH's leader in kills, aces and points—was not medically cleared to play in tonight's match. For Taylor, her streak of 38 straight starts (dating back to last season), came to an end as she sat out for the first time this season. Taylor was the only Rainbow Wahine to have played in all 63 sets this year coming into  tonight's match.  Outside hitter Kalei Greeley missed her second straight match, but Tayler Higgins made her return to the court coming off the bench in the second set after suffering an injury on the road at Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 2.
 
Annie Mitchem took Taylor's place at opposite switching from middle hitter for tonight's match. Mitchem filled the stat line with a career-high seven kills and a career-high two service aces. She also added three blocks and had a career-high 13 digs while playing six rotations.
 
Manu-Olevao's game-high 15 kills came on 44 swings with 10 errors. She was one kill shy of matching her season-high of 16 set against Florida (Sept. 11). Manu-Olevao had a career-high seven blocks—two solo—to help the 'Bows out-block the Anteaters, 18.0-to-17.0. For Manu-Olevao, it was her second double-double of the season as she had 11 digs to go with her 15 kills.
 
Emily Maglio tied her career-highs set earlier this season with 12 kills and seven blocks. She also buried the match winning kill in the fourth and final set.

At setter, Kendra Koelsch started her fifth straight match. She had 17 assists, two blocks, three digs and a service ace. Higgins came into the match in Set 2 and ended up with 26 assists with an ace, five digs and a block.

Olivia Magill recorded 10 kills and hit .308 with two errors in 26 attacks. Magill also made her first appearance behind the service line when UH ran out of substitutions in Set 4. She came through in the clutch, as UH won both point to take the deciding set, 26-24.
 
Freshman McKenna Granato was one kill shy of tallying a double-double with nine kills and 12 digs. She added two blocks and two service aces to stuff her stat line.
 
In the first set, UH couldn't quite get separation early on. In the middle of the set, McKenna Granato went on a six-serve streak with three-consecutive kills by Manu-Olevao and two more by Maglio to give the 'Bows a 14-7 lead. Hawai'i go on to win the last three points with Clare-Marie Anderson serving to win Set 1 going away, 25-17.
 
The Anteaters bolted out to a quick 4-0 lead to start the second set. UH had to play catch-up for much of the early part of the second set after that. The 'Bows finally caught UCI at 10-10 and then the two teams tied seven more times before the Rainbow Wahine took their first lead at 17-16 with Anderson serving once again. UH held off UCI the rest of the way to win the second set, 25-23.
 
UC Irvine won the third set, 25-21 getting 8.0 blocks in the set en route to forcing a Set 4. Hawai'i led early on and by as many as four points at 9-5.  But the Anteaters would chip away, catching the 'Bows at 14-14. UCI would overtake the Rainbow Wahine at 15-14 and they never looked back, pulling away to a 25-21 win in Set #4.
 
Hawai'i fell behind early in the fourth set, as the Anteaters went out to an early 5-1 lead before UH would start to battle back. Behind Kendra Koelsch's four serves which brought UH within one point at 7-8. But UH would not tie UCI until 16-16 off a Granato kill. The two squads would tie at 18-18 and 19-19 before UH started to gain some traction to lead by two points at 21-19. The Anteaters however were not done as they tied the set again at 23-23. UCU took a lead at 24-23 and served for match point but Magill came through with a clutch kill to knot the set at 24-24. She then went behind the service line for the first time in her collegiate career for two serves as UH got kills by Granato and Maglio to end the match at 26-24.
 
The Anteaters out-hit Hawai'i .147-to-.136 and out-dug UH, 63-to-61. UCI was led by Marisa Bubica who had 14 kills and Idara Akpakpa who had a team-high eight blocks. Chloe Hakim had a match-high 16 digs.
 
Hawai'i will be off this coming week and will play their final two home matches of the season  against UC Riverside on Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1 will be Senior Night for Tai Manu-Olevao and Olivia Magill. That match will begin at 5:00 p.m.