SAN DIEGO, Calif.—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (8-5, 5-0 Big West) fought back after dropping the first set to down UC San Diego in four, 22-25, 25-17, 27-25, 25-21 on Friday night at the RIMAC Center in San Diego, Calif. Hawai'i had three players with double-digit kills—led by a career-high 20 by Riley Wagoner and four players with double-figure digs—led by Tayli Ikenaga's 22.
 
Wagoner was also one of three Rainbow Wahine to record double-doubles. For Wagoner, it was her second double-double of the season and third of her career. The sophomore outside hitter tallied 15 digs to go with her 20 kills. For the second time this year, she hit over .300 (20K – 4 E – 52 ATT) with a .308 hitting percentage. She was also in on three blocks.
 
Senior outside Brooke Van Sickle posted her sixth double-double of the season and 10th  of her career with 19 kills and 16 digs. She had a hitting percentage of .313 (19-4-48). Her stat line was stuffed with two service aces, two blocks and an assist to boot. Van Sickle is now just one kill away from recording 400 kills while at Hawai'i. She has had nine matches with 10+ kills  and seven with 10+ digs thus far this season.
 
Recording her third-straight double-double was freshman setter Kate Lang who dished out a career-high 58 assists to go with 13 digs. She also had two blocks on the night while distrubuting a balanced offensive attack.
 
The Tritons got off to a strong start in Set 1, building as big as a seven point lead at 19-12. Hawai'i would rally, scoring three-straight points to close to within four (19-15) to force the Tritons to call a timeout. From that point, the two teams traded sideouts until the 'Bows went on another 3-to-0 run on kills by Braelyn Akana, Wagoner, and Skyler Williams cutting their deficit to 22-20, causing another UCSD timeout. A ball handling error on the Tritons  would bring the 'Bows to within one, but UCSD would get the final two points to hold of Hawai'i, 25-22.
 
After a quick start, UH went up 10-7 early in Set 2. UCSD would not back down, knotting things up at 13-13. The two teams went back and forth with sideouts. But Van Sickle fueled an 8-to-0 run with four kills during that sequence for a commanding 24-16 lead. UH would tie things up at a set apiece with a 25-17 win in Set 2.
 
In the third set, UH led for much of the early going. UC San Diego would come right back to tie things at 9-9 on a 4-to-0 run. UH would retake the lead into the media timeout on three-straight kills by Skyler Williams to take a 15-12 lead. UCSD quickly tied things up at 15-15. UCSD and Hawai'i traded blows, but the Tritons would go up by three late, but UH won a challenge to be down by just two points changing the score from 23-19 to 22-20. Eventually Hawai'i would stave off three set points. An overpass by Wagoner fell in the middle of the UCSD defense to give UH set point and then Wagoner would crush a cross-court kill to steal Set 3, 27-25.
 
Hawai'i took their momentum into Set 4, they led early and although the score was tied once at 10-10, the 'Bows would never trail in the final frame. UC San Diego would trim their deficit to just one point at 15-14 and 19-18. Hawai'i however would close out the match with a 25-21 win in Set 4.

Hawai'i out hit UC San Diego, .257-to-.234 and 65-to-57 kills. On defense, UH would out-dig UCSD, 78-to-72 but the Tritons had the edge in blocks, 10.0-to-8.0. UCSD was led by Sabire Karacaova's 17 kills. Juliette Bokor had a match-high six blocks while both Isabela Dobra and Naya Dong had a team-high 17 digs apiece.
 
The Rainbow Wahine will stay on the road to take on UC Irvine on Saturday, October 9 at the Bren Events Center.