BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Two career milestones highlighted the University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team's four-set victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Tuesday to cap a three-match road trip.
UH senior
Kate Lang became the fifth Rainbow Wahine setter to surpass 4,000 career assists and junior outside hitter
Caylen Alexander joined the program's 1,000-kills club in the 28-26, 25-15, 18-25, 25-21 win over the host Roadrunners at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
A day after picking up her fourth Big West Offensive Player of the Week award of the season, Alexander put away a match-high 28 kills with six errors in 51 attempts to hit .431 and help the 'Bows improve to 12-7 overall and 6-3 in Big West play.
Alexander became the first UH player to record at least 20 kills in 10 matches in a season since Emily Hartong posted 12 such performances in 2013. She also had a team-high 14 digs in her 11
th double-double of the season and tied her season-high with three service aces.
Lang directed the UH attack to a .317 hitting percentage while dishing out 52 assists. She finished with at least 50 assists for the fifth time this season and the 15
th time in her career and also recorded her 11
th double-double of the season with 12 digs. Lang entered the match with 3,988 career assists and had 17 in the first set on Tuesday to join Kanoe Kamana'o (6,428, 2003-06), Martina Cincerova (4,637, 1985-88), UH head coach
Robyn Ah Mow (4,313, 1993-96) and Cheri Boyer (4,304, 1988-91) in the 4,000-assist group.
UH middle blocker
Jacyn Bamis continued her hot streak on offense with 12 kills against two errors in 20 swings to hit .500 for the match. Freshman
Miliana Sylvester added nine kills and was in on five blocks.
UH's back-row duo of
Tayli Ikenaga and
Victoria Leyva both recorded double-digit digs. Ikenaga finished with 11 and Leyva with 10.
The 'Bows weathered a 15-kill performance from CSUB's Sydney Dunning, who also served up six aces and had nine digs, to remain undefeated in the all-time series with the Roadrunners at 9-0.
UH overcame five CSUB aces and rallied from a late deficit to claim a first set that featured 15 ties and 10 lead changes. Down 21-18, UH went on a 3-0 run to catch the Roadrunners and had a set point after an ace from Ikenaga. CSUB forced deuce with a block and served for the set at 26-25. Bamis' kill in the middle extended the set and after a CSUB error, Alexander's serve clipped the tape and dropped to the court for an ace to give UH the set.
The 'Bows then rolled through the second set, hitting .429 led by Alexander's 6-for-9 performance in the set, and took a 16-13 lead in the third. But CSUB closed the set on a 12-2 run that included four aces to send the match to the fourth.
CSUB threatened to force a fifth set in taking an 18-15 lead, but UH later went on a 4-0 run with
Tali Hakas on the service line to take a 23-19 lead. A CSUB service error gave UH match point at 24-20 and the Roadrunners survived for one more point before Alexander's final kill punctuated the UH win after 38 total ties and 20 lead changes.
The Rainbow Wahine return to SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday for a meeting with CSUN (7-12, 2-6) to open a three-match homestand.
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