IRVINE, Calif. — The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team captured its fifth straight Big West Championship following a four-set win over top-seeded Cal Poly in the title match of the Hawaiian Islands presents the 20224 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship at the Bren Events Center.
The second-seeded and defending champion Rainbow Wahine (21-9) earned the Big West's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, extending its streak to 31 straight, with the 25-19, 25-19, 27-29, 25-22 victory. UH will make its 42nd appearance in the bracket when the NCAA Tournament field is revealed on Sunday.
UH libero
Tayli Ikenaga was named the MVP of the Big West Championship after anchoring the UH defense with 32 digs in the tournament, including 13 in the championship match. Ikenaga, named the Big West Libero of the Year on Tuesday, helped lead a UH defensive effort that limited UC Davis and Cal Poly to a combined .192 hitting percentage in the Big West Championship.
Setter
Kate Lang directed a balanced 'Bows attack to a .295 hitting percentage and finished with 42 assists and 10 digs in her 50th career double-double.
UH middle blockers
Miliana Sylvester and
Jacyn Bamis combined for 23 kills, hitting at a .500 clip. Sylvester's team-high 14th kill was the match-winner. Bamis posted nine kills in 14 attempts on Saturday and closed the tournament with 24 kills and just three errors to hit .488 for the weekend in Irvine.
Outside hitter
Caylen Alexander also tallied 14 kills while
Tali Hakas finished with 12 kills and a match-high 19 digs in her eighth double-double performance and 20th match this season with double-digit digs.
Big West regular-season champion and top-seeded Cal Poly (22-9) was led by Breklyn Pulling and Lizzy Markovska, who each had 13 kills.
Coming off a five-set thriller against UC Davis in a semifinal match on Friday, the 'Bows rolled through the first two sets, hitting .353, to close in on the title. They had two match points denied and fought off two set points before Cal Poly closed out a marathon third set to extend the match. The 'Bows rallied from an early deficit to move ahead and this time closed out the match and celebrated the program's 13th Big West title and 28th conference championship overall.
In Set 1, UH got early aces from Alexander and Hakas, who also scored on six of her first seven attempts, including a dig-kill. UH went on a 5-1 run capped by an Ikenaga ace to take command with an 18-13 lead.
Victoria Leyva served up UH's fourth ace of the set in a 4-0 surge that extended the lead to 23-16 and two Cal Poly service errors gave the 'Bows the opening set.
Sylvester contributed three kills and a block assist to a 5-1 run that gave UH a 15-11 lead midway through the second set. The UH attack kept rolling through a 5-0 surge that stretched the margin to 21-13. UH ended up hitting .457 in the set with 18 kills and just two errors and converted on 16 of 19 sideout opportunities (84%).
UH kept the momentum rolling into the third set with Lang's ace giving the 'Bows a 5-1 lead. With the help of back-to-back aces by Lizzy Markovska, the Mustangs used a 7-0 run to take a 16-13 lead. UH fought back to tie the set at 18-18 on a kill by Bamis and moved back ahead at 20-19. UH rallied and had match point at 24-23 and again at 27-26 but the Mustangs were able to close out the set with a kill and block by Emma Frederick.
UH rallied from a three-point deficit to tie Set 4 at 9-9. Hawai'i surged ahead 13-10 after a 4-0 run. The Mustangs tied it at 13 but the Rainbow Wahine retook the lead and went up 21-17 after an ace by Leyva.
Cal Poly closed to within two and the teams traded side-outs until the Mustangs hit wide giving UH match-point at 24-20. The Mustangs erased two match points before Sylvester put away the match and the championship for the 'Bows.
The NCAA Tournament selection show will air on Sunday at 1 p.m. Hawai'i time on ESPN and ESPN+.
