HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (1-3, 0-0 Big West) opened the 2022 Outrigger Volleyball Challenge by notching its first win of the season with a sweep over previously unbeaten Texas State, 28-26, 25-20, 27-25. The Rainbow Wahine were buoyed by its first no-limit, post-COVID crowd of 5,023 as the 'Bows held off the Bobcats in a tough three sets on Thursday night at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Junior Amber Igiede was a force in the middle, tying her career-high with 20 kills.
 
Igiede also tied her season high with 4.0 blocks while picking up four digs, two assists and a service ace. She hit a team-high .562 (20-2-32) and did not commit a hitting error until mid-way thru the third set. She also set a new career high with 32 attacks.
 
Junior pin-hitter Riley Wagoner notched her second double-digit kill match with 12 kills. She finished with 10 digs, three assists, and two service aces. Sophomore setter Kate Lang recorded her third double-double this season with 43 assists and 10 digs. Lang orchestrated the offense as UH hit a season-best .344 hitting percentage. She tied her career-high with four kills. Sophomore libero Tayli Ikenaga tied her season-high with a match-high 17 digs. Freshman outside hitter Caylen Alexander put down nine kills in her home debut and has now issued at least one service ace in all four of UH's matches.
 
Hawai'i took an early 4-1 lead to start the match, but the scrappy Bobcats went on a 10-to-2 run to build an 11-6 lead. UH scored four-straight on Kendra Ham's serving to come within a pair at 15-13. Texas State would hold the 'Bows at bay through much of the first frame, but UH trimmed their deficit to 22-21 on a Wagoner kill. TXST then scored two to serve for the set, but with their backs against the wall, Hawai'i rallied to knot the score at 24-24 on back-to-back kills by Wagoner and Akana and punctuated by a double-block by Igiede and Lang. From there the two teams traded four sideouts. UH staved off three set points and then closed the frame scoring the last three points on kills by Igiede, Alexander, and Lang as UH stole the set, 28-26. Igiede led UH with seven kills and two blocks while Wagoner added five with three assists and two digs.
 
The second set started with the two teams battling back and forth with the score being tied nine times, the last at 11-11. The 'Bows went on a 5-to-0 run with Wagoner serving to take a 15-11 lead. After a sideout, UH extended its lead to five after TXST service and attack errors. The Bobcats would five straight points to trail by just two at 19-17, to forcing UH to call a  timeout. UH would go on to take Set 2, 25-20. Thru two sets, Igiede had a .650 hitting percentage with 13 kills on no errors with 20 attacks.
 
The Bobcats led at 6-3 in the third, but a 7-to-2 run—five coming with Igiede behind the service line—allowed UH to leapfrog TXST, 11-8. A 7-to-2 Bobcat scoring run gave Texas State back the leat aT 19-17. Hawai'i responded with four-straight points behind Alexander's serving to go up, 21-19. The Bobcats would not back down as see-sawed back into the lead, 22-21. UH took back the lead at 24-22. With UH serving for match point, TXST fought off two set points and took the lead at 25-24 and was serving for set point when UH picked up an Igiede kill, a timely block by Igiede and Lang, and a kill by Wagoner for the win, 27-25.
 
For the match, UH out hit the Bobcats, 55-to-47 and in percentage .344-to-248. TXST out blocked the home team 7.0-to-5.0 and the team were tied with six service aces apiece.
 
Texas State was led by Janell Fitzgerald's 15 kills while Tessa Marshall had a team-high three blocks. Three Bobcats had double-digit digs, led by Fitzgerald's 12.
 
The 'Bows have a quick turnaround. On Day 2 of the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge, UH will take on West Virginia on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m.. Fans are encouraged to wear Black in support of the AVCA's "Stand Against Racism" movement.