HONOLULU—The No. 14 University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (22-5, 15-1 Big West) came from a set down to defeat UC Santa Barbara in four sets on Senior Night, 21-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-10 at the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday night. Four Rainbow Wahine notched double-digit kills, led by senior Nikki Taylor who recorded her sixth double-double of the season with a match-high 22 kills and 11 digs. McKenna Granato and Emily Maglio added 11 kills apiece and senior Annie Mitchem pounded 10 kills with a match-high three blocks in her final match at the SSC. Norene Iosia tallied her 12th double-double of the season as Hawai'i won its 10th-straight match to end the regular season.
 
For Taylor, it marked the 18th time this season and fourth-straight match that she's put down double-digit kills. Taylor hit an efficient .405 for the match with five errors on 42 attempts. She also posted three service aces in the win. She finishes the regular season ranked No. 8 with 116 career service aces and No 12 with 1,354 career kills.
 
Granato hit .273 with 11 kills and two errors in 33 swings. She also had seven digs and a service ace while Maglio hit .391 with 11 kills and two errors in 23 attacks. She added two blocks and two digs.
 
As a team, UH out hit the Gauchos, .315-to-.154 and edged UCSB in blocks, 4.0-to-3.0. After recording just a 37% in sideouts in the first set, UH finished the fourth set with an 81% sideout for an average of 58% for the match.  UH's streak of consecutive set wins was snapped at 25 as UCSB won the first set. Prior to tonight, the last set that the Gauchos were able to take off of UH was on Oct. 26, 2014 in the second set, 19-25 in Honolulu.
 
In the first set, UH held a 20-16 lead, but the Gauchos then started a charge with Lindsey Ruddins at the service line as they reeled off eight straight points and winning the last nine of 10 points to take the first set, 25-21.
 
Hawai'i fought back to even the match at 1-1 winning the second set, 25-14. UH trailed early in the frame, 3-6 before Granato went on a seven-point serving run which gave the 'Bows an 11-5 lead. Later Mitchem rattled off a four-point serving run that extended UH's lead to 20-9 lead from which Gauchos couldn't recover from.
 
The third set was tight in the early going with ties at every point from 4-4 to 11-11. But Taylor put the team on her back, pummeling nine kills and hitting .571 in the frame. Hawai'i pulled away to take the set 25-18 to give the 'Bows a 2-1 lead.   
 
Hawai'i then put the match away in the fourth set by blitzing the Gauchos, 25-10. UH took an early lead and never took the foot off the gas pedal.
 
UCSB's freshman phenom Lindsey Ruddins notched 21 kills, Emilia Petrachi had 25 digs, and Hanah Juley had 34 assists to lead the Gauchos.
 
It was the final home game for four Rainbow Wahine seniors—Tayler Higgins, Annie Mitchem, Katiana Ponce, and Nikki Taylor—who were were honored after the match.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will have this coming week off as it is their bye week. The NCAA Selection Show will be on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 4:00 pm HT.