HONOLULU—The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team (5-5, 2-0 Big West) evened its overall record with a three-set sweep over UC Riverside (2-9, 0-2 BWC), 25-17, 25-23, 25-13 on Saturday night at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Freshman outside hitter Caylen Alexander powered the Rainbow Wahine putting away 15 kills—including seven in the final set alone—as the Rainbow Wahine hit a season-best .414 hitting percentage.
 
Alexander hit for a career-high .556 hitting percentage, committing no errors on 27 attacks. She also recorded her team-leading 17th service ace and has now dealt at least one ace in nine of UH's 10 matches this season.
 
Joining Alexander with double-digit kills were junior middle Amber Igiede and junior outside Riley Wagoner who both finished with 12 kills apiece. Igied, like Alexander, did not have any errors on 21 attacks for a match-high .571 hitting percentage. She also had a match-leading four blocks. Wagoner posted her second consecutive double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. She hit .240 (12-6-25). Both Igiede and Wagoner also had long serving runs in the third frame to help UH to the win.
 
Kate Lang finished with a match-high 39 assists as four UH hitters tallying eight kills or more. She distributed the kills around as the middles accounted for 20 kills and the pin-hitters with 29.
 
Tayli Ikenaga led a trio of Rainbow Wahine with 10+ digs. The sophomore libero popped up 17 digs for her eighth double-digit dig match this year. For the fourth time this season she was perfect in serve-receive. Junior defensive specialist Talia Edmonds added 11 digs for her second double-digit dig performance as a Rainbow Wahine.
 
Hawai'i started out red-hot, beginning the match with an 8-2 lead. UH would lead by as many as seven. The Highlanders would rally to come within three points at 18-15 but the Rainbow Wahine would slowly pull away to capture the first frame, 25-17.
 
In Set 2, UCR took care of business early as their 5-to-0 run resulted in a 6-3 lead. The Highlanders' lead balloon to eight points at 17-9. The 'Bows were able to rally for five-straight points with Wagoner serving to cut their deficit to three at 17-14. UH was able to catch the Highlanders at 21-21 on an Alexander service ace. UH would score four of the last five points—the last three consecutively with Kendra Ham serving as Wagoner got the kill for the 25-23 win.
 
The third set started just as the second with the Highlanders jumping out to a quick 5-1 lead. But this time, UH erased UCR's lead immediately by scoring four-consecutive points to knot the score at 5-5. From that point forward, Hawai'i outscored UC Riverside, 24-8 the rest of the way. An eight-point scoring run with Igiede serving extended UH's lead to 13-6 during which Alexander went off for five kills in a span of seven points. UH would coast to a 25-13 Set 3 win to seal their fourth sweep of the season.
 
Hawai'i took care of all facets of the match, leading 49-30 in kills; .414-.133 in hitting percentage; 49-35 in assists; 60-35 in digs; and 4.0-2.0 in blocks. For the second-straight night, UH held their opponents to a hitting percentage in the .130's and did not allow a player to tally more than eight kills.
 
The Highlanders were led by Mylei Vargas-Darson's seven kills. Makenna Tong had a team0high nine digs, Tayler Hifo had 23 assists and three players and a block each.
 
Hawai'i will now embark on its second roadtrip of the season to face Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Sept. 30 and Long Beach State on Saturday, Oct. 1. Both matches are slated to start at 4:00 p.m. HT.