SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The fifth-ranked University of Hawai'i women's water polo team opened Big West play with a 12-8 victory over 10^th-ranked UC Santa Barbara Friday at the UCSB campus pool.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (12-2) extended their conference win streak to 10 with the win and will next face CSUN on Sunday to close out the road trip. The win over the Gauchos was the second in as many matches as UH won 10-4 on the final day of the Barbara Kulbus Tournament in Irvine, Calif.
  
Bia Mantellato Dias added to her team-leading goals count with four against the Gauchos including two in the first half as the Rainbow Wahine took a 5-3 lead at halftime.
 
UH then out-scored UCSB 4-1 in the third quarter to build a commanding 9-4 cushion. The 'Bows scored two goals in the final 19 seconds of the period as Mantellato Dias and goalkeeper Bridget Layburn found the net.
 
The Gauchos scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter but the Rainbow Wahine managed to trade goals the rest of the way.
 
Alba Bonamusa Boix and Emma van Rossum each scored twice while Layburn recorded 12 saves.