LA JOLLA, Calif. — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team opened its first Big West road trip of the season by pulling off its second reverse sweep of 2024 in a five-set win over UC San Diego on Friday at LionTree Arena in La Jolla, Calif.
The Rainbow Wahine (8-5, 2-1 Big West) hit .000 with 15 attack errors through the first two sets then stormed back to hit .421 with just six errors over the next three to rally to the 13-25, 18-25, 25-14, 25-12, 15-10 victory over the Tritons (7-8, 1-3).
After sitting out a match for the first time this season,
Caylen Alexander came off the bench in the first set on Friday and fueled the comeback with a match-high 24 kills on 43 attempts while hitting a season-high .372. She had six kills and six errors through the first two sets then caught fire to go 17-for-24 without an error over the third and fourth sets and UH went to five for the eighth time this season.
Stella Adeyemi, held to one kill on 12 swings through four sets, put away four kills in six error-free attempts in the fifth and
Victoria Leyva closed out the match with her third ace of the evening.
Middle blocker
Jacyn Bamis came off the bench to start the third set and posted four kills on eight attempts without an error and was in on three blocks.
Tali Hakas posted three of her seven kills in the fifth set and had 12 digs.
Tayli Ikenaga led UH's defense with 17 digs and contributed an ace in the fourth set. Setter
Kate Lang finished with 40 assists and nine digs.
UCSD had never won two sets in the previous seven meetings with UH and appeared poised for a breakthrough before the 'Bows turned the momentum in the third on their way to improving to 8-0 all-time against the Tritons. Ava McInnes led UCSD with 14 kills and Kylie Pries added 11.
UC San Diego raced out to a 7-1 lead to start the match while UH started 1-for-14 with two errors as the Tritons stretched the lead to 15-5. UCSD served up five aces in the set and hit .480 with 13 kills and one error. The Tritons took command in the second with a 9-2 run on their way to a 2-0 lead in the match while UH had nine kills against nine errors in the set.
The 'Bows heated up after the intermission and never trailed in the third set to snuff any thoughts of a sweep with Alexander hammering seven kills in nine attempts. UH went on a 7-0 run with Hakas on the service line to fuel the rout.
UCSD edged out to a 10-7 in a competitive start to the fourth set before UH roared past the Tritons with an 18-2 surge. Leyva's second ace highlighted her five-point service turn and Ikenaga also delivered an ace in a six-point run. Lang served the final six points of the set, also dealing an ace to send UH to yet another fifth set. Alexander continued her tear by putting away 10 kills in 15 attempts in the set and reached 20 kills for the eighth time this season.
UCSD took a 5-3 lead in the race to 15, but UH took control with Alexander serving in a 6-0 UH run. The Tritons would get no closer than three the rest of the way and Adeyemi gave UH match point before Leyva's ace ended the two hour, 26 minute duel.
The 'Bows cap the road trip with a nationally televised matchup with Long Beach State (9-4, 3-0) on Saturday at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. The match will be televised on ESPNU starting at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Hawai'i Time).
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