HILO, Hawai`i—UC San Diego scored ten straight points in the fifth and deciding set to effectively seal a huge momentum swing and the match during a 15-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-7 victory over Hawai`i Hilo on Friday night at Vulcan Gymnasium.

That run put the cap on a dramatic comeback for the Tritons, who were dominated in the first two sets by the host Vulcans. It was the second match of the day for both teams, with UCSD moving to 2-0 and UH Hilo dropping to 1-1.

After six matches on Friday, six more are scheduled for Saturday at the First Hawaiian Bank Volleyball Challenge, weather permitting.
A rainy, stormy night began in the favor of the home team.

UH Hilo never trailed in the first set, breaking out to an 18-9 lead before finishing the game off with a Bria Beale kill (25-15). Beale had four kills in the set and hit .667, and the Vulcans zipped in three aces. The second set was similar with the hosts blitzing out to 5-0 and 11-3 leads. Again, they would never trail, putting the finishing touch on the set with a put-away by freshman Teisa Tuioti (25-19).

The momentum began to shift the Triton's way in the third set. Breaking an 12-12 tie, UCSD scored four of the next five points and would go on to win the set behind Jessica Rieble's five kills. In the fourth set, the Tritons jumped out to a 7-2 lead, although UHH frosh Alexandria Parisian would lead a comeback (five kills) that would tie the match at 9-9.

UH Hilo would go on to claim a 16-13 lead and stretched it to 18-14 a few moments later. But the Tritons battled back again, tying the match at 20-20 and 22-22, before scoring four of the final five points of the set, clinching it on a Emily Kimball kill (25-23).

Energized, UCSD fought off a 2-0 deficit out of the gates in the fifth set and proceeded to reel off ten straight points on the stunned Vulcans. Kimball had three kills during that run as her team hit a flaming .476 in the deciding game (15-7).

Rieble had 14 kills to lead UC San Diego, a perennial power out of the CCAA that is in the transition process to go NCAA Division I.

Beale led the Vulcans with 11 kills, with a pair of freshmen in Tuioti and Parisian adding ten each. On defense, Ashton Jessee had five total blocks, including two solo, and Mina Grant had 20 digs.

The Vulcans are scheduled to play at 10 a.m. on Saturday, taking on St. Cloud State (1-1). On Sunday, UH Hilo will play Simon Fraser at 2 pm in the only tournament match of the day.