SEATTLE, Wash.—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (22-7, 18-2 Big West) outlasted No. 24 Mississippi State (25-6, 16-2 SEC) in a five-set thriller to advance to the NCAA tournament's second round, 17-25, 25-14, 25-13, 21-25, 15-11. Hawai'i's middle blocking dynamic duo of Amber Igiede and Skyler Williams supplied the power surge combining for 30 kills, a .425 hitting percentage and 11 blocks. Outside hitter Brooke Van Sickle was clutch and helped UH overcome a slow start with her 12th double-double of the year. The Mānoa Roofing Company built a wall at the net out-blocking MSU, 13.0-to-5.0 and seven blocks in the third set alone on Friday night at the Alaska Airlines Arena on the campus of the University of Washington.
 
After starting the match hitting -.050 (8-10-40) in Set 1, Hawai'i hit .324 from Sets 2-5 (53-10-102. UH had 10 hitting errors in the first set and 10 errors the rest of the match combined. While UH's defense held MSU's offense, which was averaging hitting .243 to just a .196 hitting percentage for the match.
 
Hawai'i's middles were solid both offensively and defensively. Igiede posted a career-high 22.5 points in the win. She had just two kills through the first two sets, but then she exploded with six kills in the third and six more in the final set to boost the 'Bows offensive attack. She was in on five blocks, had a pair of service aces and three digs for the night. Williams recorded a match-high six blocks—including three solo—to go with 12 kills.
 
Van Sickle added 16 kills and a team-high 14 digs. It was her 21st double-digit kill match of the season and her 15th match with 10+ digs. The super senior added two aces and three blocks.
 
Rookie setter Kate Lang notched her 12th double-double with a match-high 47 assists and 10 digs. With Lang at the controls, UH had three hitters in double-digits and six players recorded kills.
 
The Bulldogs got out of the gates fast and led the set from start to finish. Mississippi State served tough and UH struggled to get any traction. MSU took advantage of Hawai'i's miscues and had almost half of their points due to UH errors. MSU took a quick 7-2 lead to start the match and then quickly extended their lead going into the media timeout to eight at 15-7. MSU doubled up on UH at 18-9 and would lead by as many as 10. Three-straight blocks followed by a service ace by UH and a 6-to-1 run to cut their deficit to five at 20-15. The Bulldogs however pulled away to win 25-17 to take a 1-0 set lead. UH out-blocked MSU 4-to-1 in the set, but committed 10 hitting errors which were too much to overcome.
 
Hawai'i was able to make adjustments and clean up their errors going in the second set and then they started rolling. UH took their first lead of the match in Set 2, at 2-1. Back-to-back service aces by Igiede gave UH an eight point lead going into the media timeout, 15-7. Igiede kept serving as UH's lead ballooned to 10 points, 17-7 causing the Bulldogs to call their first timeout. MSU reeled off six of the next seven points, but it was not enough as Hawai'i tied the match at a set apiece by ending the set on a 7-to-1 run to win, 25-14. After hitting -.050 in the first, UH hit .520 in the second set alone with two errors in 25 attacks to even things up.
 
The 'Bows block was on full display in the third set. Igiede and Van Sickle started things with UH's sixth block of the match. Hawai'i would jump out to an 11-4 lead. Back-to-back blocks gave UH a 14-5 lead. Later, the 'Bows would score four consecutive points on a Wagoner kill followed by three-straight blocks that gave UH a commanding 20-9 lead. UH took Set 3, 25-13 and a 2-1 set lead. UH had seven blocks in the third.
 
UH and MSU traded leads to start the fourth, but the Bulldogs pounded their way to an early four-point lead at 12-8 making UH take their first timeout. MSU would lead by as many as seven. With Van Sickle serving UH staved off four-straight set points, but Mississippi State would go on to win Set 4, 25-21 to tie the match at 2-2 and force a fifth and deciding set.
 
Both teams took turns taking the lead to begin the fifth set. UH see-sawed back in front at 5-4 on a Van Sickle's second service ace and never looked back. UH scored three-straight to take an 8-5 lead into the media timeout. Two consecutive kills by Igiede pushed UH's lead to 10-6 and caused an MSU timeout. With the chant of "Let's  Go 'Bows!" reverberating in the arena, Hawai'i would go on to win the fifth set and the match 15-11.

The Bulldogs' Gabby Waden posted a match-high 20 kills and hit .372, while Lilly Gunter had a match-high 15 digs. Deja Robinson had a team-high three blocks. 
 
UH out hit MSU with 61-to-56 kills and .289-to-.196 hitting percentage and edged the Bulldogs in service aces, 5-to-4. 

Hawai'i head coach Robyn Ah Mow has led UH to four consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. With tonight's win, she evens her post-season record at 3-3
 
Up next, the Rainbow Wahine will take on host, No. 23 Washington at 5:00 p.m. HT on Saturday, Dec. 4 at the Alaska Airlines Arena.