HONOLULU—The No. 18 University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (7-0) had a slow start then rolled to a four set win over West Virginia, 18-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-12 on the opening night of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge.
Amber Igiede and Brooke Van Sickle both recorded career-highs with 14 kills apiece to lead the Rainbow Wahine on Thursday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
 
Freshman middle blocker Igied hit .458 with just three errors in 24 attacks. She was also in on a match-high six blocks (one solo). She also recorded a dig and an assist for good measure.
 
Junior outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle hit .414 (14-2-29) and was one of three UH players to notch double-doubles in the match. Van Sickle had 11 digs plus two service aces and an assist in the match.
 
The other two double-doubles came from UH's senior setting duo of Bailey Choy and Norene Iosia. Choy recorded 20 assists with 14 digs and a service ace while Iosia dished out 24 assists with 14 digs and two service aces. Hawai'i had a combined 58 assists with nine total players recorded at least one assist in the match.
 
Hawai'i had key contributions coming off the bench with freshman middle Tiffany Westerberg  coming through with six kills and three blocks and senior outside hitter McKenna Ross contributed with six kills two assists and three digs. Libero Rika Okino steadied out the passing in Set 2 and finished the match with six digs and five assists.
 
Scary moment came in the third set when UH starter Jolie Rasmussen landed on the foot of Briana Lynch under the net. Both players leaving the game due to injury and did not return.
 
Hawai'i got off to a slow start in Set 1 as they could not get their offense going as a result of having serve/receive problematic. West Virginia capitalized on UH's miscues and finished the set strong ending the set on a 6-to-0 run. The Mountaineers out-hit Hawai'i, 231-to-.049.
 
The Mountaineers kept their momentum to start the second set with a 6-3 lead. But the 'Bows battle back with a 6-to-0 run with Brooke Van Sickle behind the service line—including a pair of service aces. After a WVU side out, UH got the point back on a Hanna Hellvig kill. UH then went on a 4-to-0 run with Hellvig serving to extend their lead to 16-9. UH eventually led, 24-13, but WVU staved off four set points until Igiede and Hellvig came through with the block to end the set, 25-17 to tie the match at 1-1.
 
In Set 3, UH got off to a to a strong start leading early, 6-2 lead. But that's when UH's Rasmussen and WVU's Lynch both went down with injuries and left the match. UH would go on to lead by as many as seven at 11-4. But the Mountaineers came right back on a 7-to-1 run to close their deficit to just one point at 12-11.  Hawai'i then rallied to score four-straight points (with Hellvig serving three) to take a 16-11 lead. From there, UH pulled away bolstered by three-straight points on Iosia's serve to take Set 3, 25-17.
 
Hawai'i led from start to finish in Set 4. UH scored early and often and pulled away to win the match with a 25-12 fourth set score. In that last set Van Sickle powered the 'Bows with four kills while Hanna Hellvig and Igiede both added three each.
 
West Virginia's Katelyn Evans led the Mountaineers with nine kills and four blocks, while setter Lacey Zerwas had a match-high 31 assists.
 
The Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge continues on Friday as Hawai'i takes on Utah Valley at 7:00 pm.