DAVIS, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team opened the Big West Conference season with a sweep over UC Davis, 25-18, 25-21, 26-24. The Rainbow Wahine were fueled by late scoring runs in all three sets to defeat the Aggies on the road. Natasha Burns led a trio of Rainbow Wahine with double-digit kills. Burns recorded a match-high 13 kills and four blocks, while both McKenna Granato and Casey Castillo added 10 kills apiece on Friday night at The Pavilion in Davis, Calif. The win evened UH's overall record at 5-5 as it is 1-0 in league play. UC Davis falls to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in the Big West.
 
Burns had another efficient night, hitting .455 (13-3-22). She led all players with 15.5 total points as well. Burns has had 10 or more kills in three of UH's last five matches.
 
Granato posted two service aces, had eight digs and one block solo in the match, while Castilo hit .364 (10-2-22) with three digs and a block to fill her stat line.
 
UH libero Tita Akiu has recorded double-digit digs in every match this season as she popped up a team-high 13 digs. Setter/outside hitter Norene Iosia continued her double-double onslaught with her ninth of the season with 19 assists and 12 digs. She also hit .375 with seven kills and just one error in 16 attacks. Iosia was in on two blocks as well.
 
In the first set, UH took an early 4-2 lead, behind the serving of McKenna Granato.  But the Aggies went on a 4-to-0 lead of their own to re-take the lead, 8-6. But UH would then mount a 6-to-2 run to go up 12-10. UH would hold on to the lead the rest of the first set, with Liva serving the last three points—including a service ace—to take Set 1, 25-18.
 
The second set started with Hawai'i jumping up to an early 9-5 lead. But later, the Aggies scored five of six points to knot the score at 10-10. Hawai'i then would hold a slim lead until the Aggies went on a 4-to-1 run to tie, and then take a 21-20 lead late in Set 2. The Rainbow Wahine's Burns would put down one of her 13 kills to tie the set up at 21-21. UH scored the last five-straight points to pull away from the Aggies to take the second set, 25-21.
 
Set 3 began with runs by both teams. UH started out hot, taking a 7-2 lead to start. But UC Davis then went on a 4-to-0 run to trail, 7-6. Eventually, the Aggies caught the 'Bows at 10-10. From there, the score was tied again six more times. UC Davis led at 22-20. But UH then got a Granato kill and a UCD hitting error to tie the score at 22-22.  Both teams traded a couple of sideouts, which left the Aggies serving for the set at 24-23. However, Hawai'i then scored the next three points to thwart the Aggies' effort to win the third set, 26-24 en route to just their third sweep of the season.
 
 
For the match, the Aggies out-blocked the 'Bows, 8.0-to-6.0, but Hawai'i out hit UC Davis, .289-to-.202 in hitting percentage and 51-to39 in kills. Defensively, UH had 55 digs to UCD's 46.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will remain on the road to take on UC Irvine on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 12:00 p.m. HT in the Bren Events Center.