NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (12-6, 9-1Big West) bounced back after a tough loss on Friday night to defeat CSUN on the road, 25-15, 22-25, 25-15, 25-21. Freshman outside hitter Martyna Leoniak had a career night to lead UH to a win to end the first round of Big West Conference action. Hawai'i is tied with a 9-1 record in the BWC with UC Santa Barbara.
 
In her fifth start of the season—first since Sept. 2—Leoniak recorded her first career double-double, pummeling a match-high and career-high 15 kills with 10 digs. She also dealt out a career-high five service aces, which is a season-high for the Rainbow Wahine team. The Warsaw, Poland-native was also in on four blocks and hit for a career-high .469 hitting percentage with no errors on 32 attacks.
 
For the second time this season and sixth time of her career, senior middle blocker Skyler Williams put down double digit kills, smacking 10  while hitting .333. She and Amber Igiede were tied with a match high five total blocks.
 
It was a great night for the UH freshmen class. Rookie setter Kate Lang posted her fifth double-double with a match-high 43 assists to go with 14 digs, while freshman libero Tayli Ikenaga also popped up 14 digs in the match. In all, three Rainbow Wahine came up with double-digit digs. And freshman hitter Mia Johnson made her first appearance since Sept. 11. She started the last two sets and finished with four kills an assist and a block.
 
After a couple of lead changes early in the first set, Hawai'i went on 6-to-2 run to take a four point lead at 10-6 and they never looked back. Later UH scored six straight points on Leoniak's serve. She sandwiched CSUN's second timeout with a pair of aces. Hawai'i claimed Set 1 going away, 25-15. Hawai'i out-hit the Matadors, .321-to-.000 percentage wise and after tallying just three total blocks the previous night at UC Santa Barbara, Hawai'i recorded 4.0 blocks in the first set alone.
 
The second set was much closer from the start. There were 11 ties and four lead changes in the frame. Neither team could shake off their opponent. CSUN finished the set strong, scoring five of the last seven points to take Set 2, 25-22.
 
Hawai'i got off to a much better start in the third, jumping out to a quick 8-2 lead—which included a five point serving run by Janelle Gong. Hawai'i would score in bunches and got back on track, leading by as many as 12 points late. UH took Set 3 25-15. In the third, UH held the Matadors to a .000 hitting percentage while hitting .500 with 13 kills with two errors in 22 swings.
 
Hawai'i led 8-5 early in Set 4. But after that point, a 6-to-2 scoring run by the Matadors gave CSUN an 11-10 lead. The lead would change twice more and just like in the second set, the two teams were tied 11 times. In the end, UH had too much fire power in the final set, outhitting CSUN, .500-to-.000. In the fourth set, Leoniak tallied five of her 15 total kills.
 
After not recording an ace in the last seven sets, the 'Bows recorded six aces—tying the team's season high. Hawai'i out-hit CSUN .304-to-.169 but the teams were tied with 51 kills each. Both teams had six aces and UH edge out the Matadors in digs, 54-to-53. But the Mānoa Roofing Company was back in business with 13.0 blocks to CSUN's 4.0. The win was UH's 12th straight over the Matadors dating back to 2014.
 
Up next, the Rainbow Wahine return to the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center to start the second round of the Big West Conference. On Friday, Oct. 29 the 'Bows will take on UC Davis and on Saturday, Oct. 30 UH will battle UC Riverside. First serve for both matches is at 7:00 p.m.