HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (4-5, 0-0 Big West) forced No. 12 Oregon to a fifth set, but came up short, 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 23-25, 15-12. Hawai'i had three players finish with double-digit kills and five players recording 10 digs in the match. McKenna Granato had a match-high 16 kills while Norene Iosia added 13 kills and recorded her second career triple-double. Angel Gaskin tallied a UH-career high of 12 kills on Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
 
Granato racked up her fourth double-double of the season with 12  digs to go with her 16 kills.  It was her seventh match with 10 kills.
 
Iosia, UH's setter/outside hitter had 13 kills with 20 assists and a career-high 16 digs. She arguably had the play of the night as she faked out the UO block as she approached for what looked like an attack off a dig, but proceeded to set up Granato on the outside to give UH set-point in the fourth set, 24-22. She also had a service ace and was in on four blocks for the 'Bows.
 
Gaskin came through with her biggest kill production of the season. The senior transfer from Maryland has started to get things going, recording double-digits in kills twice in the last three games.
 
Faith Ma'afala posted her fourth double-double of the year with 34 assists and a career high 16 digs. Rika Okino, a defensive specialist, also recorded a career-high with 11 digs on the night. She also added three assists.
 
Libero Tita Akiu tied her season-high with 26 digs. Akiu has posted double digits in digs in all nine matches this year. It marked her fourth 20 dig match this season.
 
Natasha Burns tied her career-high with six blocks (two solo, four block assists). She pounded nine kills and also had a career-high six digs. On her fourth block of the night, Burns recorded her 100th career block a night after recording her 200th career kill with the 'Bows.
 
As a team, the Rainbow Wahine recorded 97 digs, the most since UH recorded 104 at UC Irvine on Oct. 31, 2014. It was also the first time UH had five players with over 10 digs since last year's match against Illinois in the NCAA Tournament first round.
 
The Ducks led throughout the early part of the first set, building as big as a four point lead at 16-12.  Hawai'i however started showing signs of the never-say-die defense that they're known for as they rallied to tie the set at 20-20. UH tied the score again at 21, 22, and 23 before UO scored the final two points to take Set 1 25-23.
 
The second set was all Ducks. Oregon went on a 15-to-3 run to take a commanding 17-6 lead and never looked back. Hawai'i had no answers for the Duck attack as UO scored the last six-straight point en route to  a 25-10 set win to take a 2-0 match lead.
 
In the third set, both sides went on runs. First the Ducks had a 4-to-0 run to take an early 11-9 lead. But UH battled back to go on a 7-to-1 run to take a 16-12 lead. Hawai'i held the lead for the rest of the set, and won three of the last four points to capture Set 3, 25-22.
 
Oregon jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead to start the fourth set, but UH came right back to tie things at 3-3. The two teams would tie the score five more times in the set. But it was Oregon who would take a little lead as UH fought to comeback. The Ducks led late at 20-18, but Hawai'i scored on a UO service error and a Burns kill to tie the score at 20-20. That was the start of a four-point service run by Ma'afala that gave UH a 24-21 lead. Burns later ended the set with a kill to knot the match score at 2-2 to force a fifth and deciding set.
 
The fifth set was close early on. UH and UO tied each other eight times in the "race to 15." UH took a 10-9 lead on back-to-back Granato kills, but after an Oregon timeout, scored three-straight points to retake the lead at 12-10. The two teams traded sideouts the rest of the way as Oregon hung on to win, 15-12.
 
The Ducks were led by Lindsey Vander Weide who had 14 kills. Willow Johnson had a match-high 10 blocks, as Oregon out-blocked UH, 18.0-to-7.0.
 
Hawai'i will now open their Big West Conference season on the road. The 'Bows will take on UC Davis on Friday, Sept. 21 at 4:00 pm HT and then UC Irvine on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 12:00 p.m. HT.
 
Prior to UH's match against Oregon, Hawai'i hosted its annual Alumnae Game in which over 40 former Rainbow Wahine came out for the event.