RIVERSIDE, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (12-6, 8-1 Big West) swept UC Riverside on the road, 25-16, 25-17, 25-22. McKenna Granato led UH with her ninth double-double of the year with 12 kills and 10 digs on Friday night at the SRC Arena in Riverside, Calif.
 
Granato hit an even .300 three errors in 30 attacks. She was also in on a block and dealt out a pair of service aces. In the match, Granato recorded her 100^th career ace at the end of the first set.
 
Norene Iosia notched seven kills with 18 assists two digs and tied her season high with four blocks. Natasha Burns added six kills, hitting .353 on the night with zero errors in 17 swings. She led UH with a match-high five blocks. Tita Akiu posted a match-high 19 digs for her 17^th double-digit dig match of the season. At the start of the match, she recorded her 300^th dig of the season—as she posted 11 digs in the first set alone.  
 
Hawai'i and UC Riverside were tied nine times early in Set 1. After being tied at 10-10, the 'Bows started to pull away by scoring in bunches. UH ended the set on a 6-to-2 run—four points coming on the serve of Granato. Hawai'i captured the first set, 25-16.
 
In the second set, the Highlanders raced out to a 5-1 lead. But UH soon caught UCR at 7-7. The two teams were tied three times before the Rainbow Wahine began to run away, using an 8-to-1 run in the middle to extend their lead to 17-11. Hawai'i took the second set, 25-17.
 
After being tied early on in Set 3, UH led by three points after Iosia went on a three-point serving run which gave UH a 9-6 lead. But the Highlanders kept the 'Bows close and eventually tied the score at 11-11. The two teams were tied 10 more times before UH was able to get some breathing room. Faith Ma'afala started serving with UH and UCR knotted at 17-17. With her behind the service line, Hawai'i went on a 4-to-0 run to go ahead, 21-17. During the run, Ma'afala served a pair of aces that forced UCR to call both of their timeouts. Later, Granato earned a couple of points to take a 24-19 lead. The Highlanders did not go down without a fight though, staving off four match points before UH's McKenna Ross pounded down a kill to end the set and match, 25-22.
 
The Highlanders (6-13, 1-7 BWC) were led by Marissa Holt who put down a team-high nine kills. Chelsea Doyle led UCR with a match-high 24 assists. while Nicole Rodriguez had a team-high 14 digs.
 
Hawai'i out-blocked UC Riverside, 6.5-to-4.0, with Burns in on five of those blocks. UH out-hit UCR with 42-to-29 kills and in hitting percentage, .259-to-.114.
 
UH has a quick turnaround, as they take on Cal State Fullerton on Saturday at Titan Gym.