HONOLULU – After waiting 623 days since last competing against an opponent that didn't brandish University of Hawai'i gear, the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team swept Fairfield on Friday, 3-0 (25-18, 25-12, 25-18). Redshirt senior Brooke Van Sickle led all players with a match-high 16 kills, hitting .433 for the match.
 
Sophomore Riley Wagoner had a career night, 12 kills on 28 swings. The Dublin, Ohio native also tallied 10 digs, for her second-career double-double.
 
Van Sickle also recorded her eighth-career double-double and her fourth with the Rainbow Wahine.
 
In her first match as a 'Bow, junior setter Mylana Byrd led the UH to a .330 hitting percentage for the night with 35 assists, helping the Rainbow Wahine outhit the Stags' .107 clip.
 
Freshman Tayli Ikenaga's collegiate debut couldn't have gone better as the Honolulu native gathered in a team-high 12 digs and was not aced in the match.
 
Both returning all-Big West middle blockers had smooth nights on offense, sophomore Amber Igiede racked up eight kills and four total blocks, while senior Skyler Williams added four kills and three more blocks. Both hit over .400 on the night with Igiede hitting .583.
 
Sophomore Amber Igiede and Van Sickle owned the first set, each racking up five kills, helping UH to a 25-18 first set win.
 
The Stags scored the first point of the match, but the Rainbow Wahine never trailed after 2-1 Fairfield. Neither team called a timeout and utilized just the media timeout at 15-10 UH.
 
Fairfield again took the first point of the second set via a double block, but the Rainbow Wahine battled back with down a pair a couple of times to even the set at 5-5. The two teams were never tied again as NAME helped lead UH to the second set win, 25-12.
 
The third set started the same way as in the first two sets with Fairfield taking the first point of the set. But, just like the first two sets, UH never trailed after the first 10 total points of the set, tying the set at 5-5 before cruising to a 25-18 third set victory.
 
Hawai'i will take on Marquette, who won their season opener over Texas A&M in five sets Friday afternoon, on Saturday at 7 p.m. HT. The match will be broadcast on Spectrum OC16 and available to stream on ESPN+ and on ESPN Honolulu radio.