HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team gave everything they had, but Texas pulled away to win UH's Spring match in five-sets, 19-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12 on Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. Outside hitter Jolie Rasmussen led Hawai'i in her Rainbow Wahine debut with 28 kills while McKenna Ross added 15 kills and middle blocker Skyler Williams put down 13 kills.
 
The Rainbow Wahine's seven players who were suited up played the entire match. The flu-bug which went through the team held out two players from the game. Skyler Williams powered through to play all rotations as the only middle blocker available, while Kyra Hanawahine remained in the back row as the libero for the entire match. UH's only sub, Rika Okino came in for Kirsten Sibley sporadically as the serving/defensive specialist.
 
Rasmussen, who transferred with Hanawahine from Oregon this semester, did not disappoint in her debut. She posted a double-doule with match-highs of 28 kills and 21 digs. Rasmussen was clutch for the 'Bows, hitting .373 on the night with just six errors in 59 attacks. She also added a service ace and a block to fill out her stat line.
 
Ross also recorded a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs. She also posted a service ace.
 
Setter Norene Iosia dished out a match-high 56 assists in the loss. She also contributed with two kills a service ace, a block and was one digs shy of a double-double herself with nine digs.
 
Libero Hanawahine also made her UH debut tallying 10 digs, six assists and a pair of service aces.
 
Williams had a team-high three blocks to go with her 13 kills.
 
In the first set, Texas took the early lead, but UH battled back to tie the frame at 8-8 and eventually took the lead at 11-10 in the middle of a three-point run with Ross serving. Hawai'i pulled away down the stretch, scoring five of the last six points to end the first set, 25-19.
 
Texas led the second set from wire-to-wire. The Longhorns led by as many as seven points, but Hawai'i battled their way back on a 9-to-3 run late to cut their deficit to just one point, trailing 21-20. But Texas then hit the afterburners to get kills from Jhenna Gabriel and Micaya White and closed out the set on a service ace, 25-21.
 
There were seven ties to start the third set. Texas then took a brief three-point lead, but then Norene Iosia went on a five-point serving run to give UH a 13-10 lead. UH held the lead and held off Texas to take Set 3, 25-22.
 
Set 4 was all Texas early on as the Longhorns led by six at 10-4. But with Kirsten Sibley serving, the 'Bows chipped away on three-straight kills by Ross to close to within two at 10-8. UH would close the gap to within two points three more times, but Texas rebuffed UH's comeback attempts. UT scored five of the last seven points for the 25-20 win to force a fifth set.
 
The race for 15 in the fifth set saw Texas jump out to a 7-1 lead before UH was able to start rallying back. But in the end, the lead was too much to overcome for UH as the Longhorns held off the 'Bows in the fifth set, 15-12.
 
Texas was led by Logan Eggleston who buried 24 kills. Asjia O'Neal and Orie Agbaji both had a match-high six blocks apiece as UT out-blocked UH, 14.0-to-3.0.
 
Hawai'i will conclude their spring season with a four-team tournament hosted by Pepperdine. The one-day tourney will feature UH, USC, Point Loma and host Pepperdine in Malibu, Calif. on March 30 at the Firestone Fieldhouse.