Ann Arbor, Mich. – The fifth-ranked University of Hawai'i women's water polo team split a pair matches Saturday against the University of Michigan and Marist College on the first day of competition at the Michigan Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich.
 
Eleven different 'Bows recorded goals on the opening day of the season. Sophomore Lara Luka leads the team with six goals to start the year. Senior Molly DiLalla and sophomore Bridget Layburn combined for 12 saves, although Layburn picked up the win in game two.
 
Game 1 – #6 Michigan 10, #5 Hawai'i 8
 
The Rainbow Wahine started the game giving up three straight goals. Sophomore Lara Luka netted the first goal of the season and stopped the Wolverine run. In the final minute of the first quarter, junior Olivia Kistler found the back of the cage to tie the game up. The difference-maker came in the second quarter, where Michigan had four unanswered goals to go up 7-3 at the break.
 
The 'Bows won the third sprint to gain momentum in the third frame. Senior Elyse Lemay-Lavoie started the rally when she dented the twine and scored two of three goals in the third. Luka added two more goals in the second half, bringing UH within striking distance in the fourth. With 1:34 left in the match, Libby Gault brought them within one. Down 9-8, Michigan managed to get one past the goalkeeper and ice the game.
 
In all, four Wahine found the net while Luka had a career-high four goal match in her third year with the squad. Lemay-Lavoie tallied her first two goals since returning to the team for the first time in two seasons.
 
Game 2 - #5 Hawai'i 20, #22 Marist 4
 
The Rainbow Wahine were determined in their second game of the day, putting up 20 goals for the first time since February 2020.
 
Freshman Paula Prats Rodriguez and Lemay-Lavoie tallied three goals apiece. At the same time, eleven different 'Bows added a tally to the scoresheet.
 
Sophomore Lucia Gomez de la Puente found the back of the cage in the first 30 seconds before trading goals and leading 3-2 at the end of the first quarter.
 
In the second frame, junior Emma van Rossum opened the floodgates. Five different Wahine recorded goals, and strong defense resulted in an 8-4 lead over the Red Foxes.
 
Hawai'i poured it on in the second half scoring six goals in each of the last two quarters. Freshman Camille Radosavljevic fired her first career goal, while senior Ann Inoue added two of her own. Inoue has already doubled her previous season's total.
 
Layburn and DiLalla combined for 10 saves and a second-half shutout. DiLalla accounted for three stops, while Layburn added seven, including two assists, picking up the win.
 
The 'Bows will play two more games on Sunday, Jan 30. First sprint against Indiana is slated for 6:00 a.m. HT.