SAN RAFAEL, Calif.—UH Hilo hadn't played a five-set match in over a month, and playing their fourth match in six days, it was a pretty solid script for a collapse.

The Vulcans wobbled but they didn't fall down in taking a marathon five-set match, 22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 18-25, 15-11. The top blocking team in the Pacific West Conference lived up to its billing, as did the conference's top blocker on Thursday night at the Conlan Center. The Vulcans had 19 total blocks, including seven solo blocks—four of those by Ashton Jessee, who also had 11 total blocks.

UH Hilo won its fifth straight match and fourth of this road trip to improve to 17-5 on the season and to 13-3 in the PacWest. The Vulcans moved out of a tie with Point Loma for sole possession of third place. The Sea Lions (12-3) play Biola (14-3) on Friday night. Azusa Pacific is a half-game in front of the Eagles, in first place at 14-2.

Jessee had seven kills to go with her night at the net. Alexandria Parisian led the Vulcans with 14 kills, while Bria Beale played another all-around match with 10 kills, 19 digs, three service aces and six total blocks.

The Vulcans would need that advantage at the net in what turned out to be a very tight match.

Dominican set the tone for the evening with a first set win—showing that they wouldn't go quietly into the night like they did when the Vulcans swept them on Sept. 7 in Hilo. The Vulcans took a 10-6 lead early, but the Penguins answered with five straight points and wouldn't trail again—although UHH would tie it twice late at 21-21 and 22-22 (Evelin Solyomvari kill). But a service error, attack error and an ace by Domincan ended the first set (25-22).

The Vulcans rolled in the second set, leading 8-3 out of the gate. Dominican came back to 11-9, but UHH scored seven of the next nine points and eventually won, 25-15. UH Hilo hit .344 in the set. UH Hilo then took the rubber match in set three, rolling out to an 8-1 lead on Teisa Tuioti's serve, but the Penguins battled back to tie it at 11-11. With UHH leading at 18-17, a Beale kill and ace gave her team a lead that they wouldn't relinquish, winning 25-20.

The fourth set was all Penguins. They led 4-1, 11-6 and by as much as ten points at 23-13. UHH then scored five of the next six points, but the damage had already been done as Dominican forced the fifth set (25-18).

In the fifth, UH Hilo never trailed but they also never led by more than two points until they broke an 8-8 tie with three straight points to lead 11-8. A Parisian kill made it 14-11 and Armani Moultrie finished the evening with a blast from the middle to account for the 15-11 final.

Moultrie finished with six kills and six total blocks, while Tuioti added seven kills and ten digs in UHH's balanced effort. Solyomvari had seven kills and four block assists, Mina Grant had 22 digs and setter Basia Sauni had a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs.

Dominican is now 6-15 on the season and 4-12 in PacWest play.

The Vulcans will wrap up this long road trip tomorrow night (Friday) with a match at Notre Dame de Namur. UH Hilo then returns home to face PacWest leading Azusa Pacific on Wednesday, Oct. 31.