PHOTO GALLERY (Courtesy of Warren Haraki)

LONG BEACH, Calif.—The No. 12 University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (12-5, 5-1 Big West) fell in a five-set thriller at Long Beach State (12-7, 6-0 BWC) on Saturday night in the Walter Pyramid, 17-25, 25-23, 16-25, 25-21, 13-15. Nikki Taylor led the Rainbow Wahine with 28 kills and a season-high and match-high 19 digs while McKenna Granato and Annie Mitchem both added 10 kills apiece. The loss snapped UH's overall seven-match win streak and was their first loss in the Big West to fall to 5-1. With the win, the 49ers remained unbeaten in conference play at 6-0 while improving to 12-7 overall.
 
Taylor recorded 20 kills for the fifth time this season. She ended the match just one kill shy of her career-high of 29 set earlier this season against Washington. She was also just two digs shy of tying her career-high of 21 which was set against UC Santa Barbara in 2014. For the match, Taylor hit .265 for the match with 10 errors in 68 attacks. IT was the 12th time this season that she's posted double-digit kills. Taylor recorded a match-high 32.0 points and was just 1.5 points shy of tying her career-high of 33.5 which was set vs. Washington this year.
 
Granato recorded double-digit kills for the eighth time this year. She also added a career-high 17 digs.
 
Mitchem hit a team-high .265 with just two errors in 27 swings. She also posted a career-high and match-high seven blocks in the match. She was second on the team with 14.0 points.
 
Setter Norene Iosia distributed 44 assists and tied her career-high with five blocks. She also had two kills and 13 digs.
 
Although UH outblocked the 49ers with a season-high 15.5 blocks-to-7.0. But, Hawai'i had a season-high 27 hitting errors which resulted in the 'Bows hitting .168 (58-26-191) for the match. LBSU hit .209 overall with 12 more kills than UH. The 49ers also recorded 95 digs to UH's 88. For Hawai'i players had double-digit kills against the 49ers—Taylor (19), Granato (17), Savanah Kahakai, (14) and Iosia (13). The 49ers served the Rainbow Wahine very tough which kept the 'Bows out of system for much of the match.
 
The 49ers came out on fire, taking the first set, 25-17. Hawai'i hit .000 in the first frame while the 49ers was hitting at a .171 clip. In the middle of the set, Long Beach State went on a seven-point run with Missy Owens serving to pull away to a 15-10 lead from which UH was unable to recover from. The first set loss snapped UH's 12-straight set win streak.
 
Hawai'i however, evened things up at 1-1 after winning the second set, 25-23. The set was close throughout with 16 ties and six lead changes. The 49ers actually held a 21-19 lead late but the 'Bows won six of the last eight points to take the second set, 25-23.
 
In the third, LBSU built as big as an eight point lead at 18-10 and eventually pulled away winning the last five points to win the set, 25-16.
 
The fourth set was a tightly contested battle as well with 12 ties and seven lead changes. The set was tied at 21-21 but then UH won the last four points to force a Set 5 and a race to 15.
 
In the fifth, things were looking good for UH as they led at the changeover, 8-6 and again at 11-9. But both times LBSU battled right back to tie the set up. The 49ers then held off the 'Bows down the stretch to capture the set and the match at 15-13.
 
Long Beach State had four players in double-figures on kills, led by Nele Barber's 20. Ashley Murray had 17 kills, Anete Brinke added 12 and YiZhi Xue  contributed with 11.
 
The loss snaps Hawai'i's 26-Big West match win streak and UH's 15 BWC road win steak—both streaks dating back to 2014. UH's last conference loss and road loss both came at the Pyramid on Nov. 7, 2014 when the 49ers won in five sets.
 
Hawai'i returns home to host UC Irvine on Oct. 14 at 7:00 p.m. and UC Davis on Oct. 16 at 5:00 p.m.