HILO, Hawai`i—It was a match that fittingly, neither team wanted to end.

After five tense sets, BYU-Hawaii finally halted the two hour, 45 minute match with a 25-22, 25-22, 14-25, 25-27, 16-14 win, ending their final season with a two-match winning streak. The Seasiders finished 8-21 and 5-14 in the Pacific West Conference. Hawaii Hilo finishes 2016 with a 10-15 overall mark and a 8-12 conference record.

Also fittingly, Marley Strand-Nicolaisen had a career high 31 kills in the final match of her career, while BYUH's Sinamoni Tonga put up the exact same kill total—also a career best for her.

Two teams with 15 national championship banners between them squared off in the final match of the season—and for the Seasiders it was their final match ever. BYU-Hawaii will discontinue their athletics program after the 2016-17 year.

An emotional ceremony before the match honored the Seasiders, their retired Hall of Fame coach Wilfred Navalta who was in attendance, and the seniors on both sides of the net. When it came time to play, the two teams put the emotions behind the best they could in front of a boisterous crowd of 775 at Vulcan Gymnasium.

UHH had a 8-7 lead in the first set after a Kyndra Trevino-Scott kill, but the Seasiders proceeded to score five straight points and never trailed again in the game. BYU-Hawaii hit .385 in the set and led by as many as six points. Strand-Nicolaisen had eight kills in the set, and was almost matched by Tonga, who had seven as the Seasiders took the opener, 25-22.

In set two, Tonga and Strand-Nicolaisen continued their offensive slugfest. Tonga put down 10 balls and Strand-Nicolaisen sent five to the floor. The Vulcan senior helped the home team to a 5-1 lead and UHH still led many plays later at 17-12 after a Haylee Roberts kill. But the Seasiders began the climb back, scoring six straight points to take a 18-17 lead. A few plays later, they put together four more straight points to lead 22-18. Leilani Adolpho would close things out with a kill (25-22) sending both teams to the break with the Seasiders holding a 2-0 lead.

Hilo stayed alive in set three with a dominant effort. They never trailed, first building a 7-3 lead. The Vuls would push that margin to 18-11 after back-to-back blocks. At 19-13, the Vuls added to the lead with kills by Siera Green and two by Trevino-Scott (23-14) and then closed out the set on consecutive service aces by senior Mariya Heidenrich (25-14). The Vulcans hit .324 in the set, and Strand-Nicolaisen had 18 kills without an error to that juncture.

Set four was a tense slugfest. Neither team led by more than three points the entire game. UHH led the front half of the game, but BYUH battled back to take a 17-15 lead. From there, with the crowd in a frenzy, both squads traded blows. At 20-20, Strand-Nicolaisen put down three balls, giving her team a 24-22 lead and set point. But the Seasiders came back with three straight points and a chance to end the season on the next ball. But a UHH block, a BYUH attack error and another Vulcan block sent the thriller to a fifth set (27-25).

The fifth set brought more drama, bringing the fans to their feet for the final points. Neither team led by more than two points. On the switch, Strand-Nicolaisen put down her career high 28^th kill to give UHH a 8-7 lead. But the Seasiders scored the next three points (10-9). The Vulcans then scored the following three points (Armani Moultrie kill, two by Strand-Nicolaisen).

Then, the lone senior on the BYUH squad, Lacy Lange, put down three straight balls to give her team a 13-11 lead. But of course, UHH answered with senior Strand-Nicolaisen (kill, ace) to make it 13-13. A Roberts block then gave the Vulcans match point (14-13).

But the Seasiders rallied back, scoring the final three points of the night with Lange again, Adolpho and a block by Brittany Waite.

While it was the final match for Lange and the Seasiders, it was also the final outing for UHH senior Strand-Nicolaisen, Trevino-Scott, Sienna Davis and Heidenrich.

"It will be a memorable finish for them, that's for sure," said Vulcan head coach Tino Reyes. "I wish they could have finished with a win, but it was great match and a honorable way to go out for BYU-Hawaii. These two programs were the standard for NAIA volleyball for many years, and this was a great battle for the final time."

Roberts finished with 11 kills for the Vulcans and Davis had 51 assists. Strand-Nicolaisen had a team-best 16 digs and Trevino-Scott had five block assists. Lange had 18 kills for the Seasiders and Adolpho added 16 kills and 26 digs.