(photo by Joe Poellot)
HILO, Hawai`i--All four seniors made big contributions to help celebrate a festive Senior Night as the Hawai`i Hilo Vulcans capped their 2021 season with a 25-16, 25-14, 21-25, 25-20 victory over Hawai`i Pacific.
The only senior who didn't, couldn't.
Alexandria Parisian just had surgery and was cheering on her teammates from the sidelines with her parents.
Bria Beale (14 kills, 21 digs),
Ashton Jessee (nine kills, five service aces, two solo blocks, four block assists),
Amber Tai (13 digs, three service aces) and
Kamilla Marinas (two kills, six digs and three block assists) all had Senior Nights to remember in front of a loud and festive crowd.
The Vulcans finish the 2021 year out of the postseason but with an impressive record of 17-7 overall and 14-6 in the Pacific West Conference. Hawaii Pacific, who had won three straight coming into the match, ends the year at 6-20 and 5-13 in the PacWest.
Nicole Ferris led three Sharks in double figures with 12 kills, while Cara McClean had 20 digs and three service aces.
The Vulcans came out wanting to send their seniors out on a positive note. They led for almost the entire first set, using five total team blocks to set the tone. Beale had five kills in the set in the 25-16 romp. The second set was even more in the favor of the Vulcans, with Tai setting the tone with a service ace to start the game. The Vulcans would lead 7-3 in the early stages and would never trail as
Sydney Gott put down four kills in the set and her team hit a sizzling .500.
UH Hilo looked to end the match and start the senior celebration in the third set. They had a 14-10 lead after
Cara Bolte came off the bench and put down a ball. But HPU battle back, eventually tying the set at 17-17. They took their first lead since the opening moments of the match at 18-17 on a Lauren Christie kill. It was 19-19 after a Jessee kill, but the Sharks scored three straight points and wouldn't trail again in the set. They won to force a fourth, 25-21.
The Sharks made it very interesting in the fourth set, taking a 9-6 lead. But the Vulcans went on a 7-0 run, which included a Tai ace, two Beale kills and one each by Jessee and
Samara Cruz. That made the score 13-9. On the next Vulcan run, (5-0), Jessee had three aces. Beale had two kills down the stretch and setter
Kendall Kott had a kill to end the match.
In addtion to the senior numbers, Cruz had 11 kills, hitting a red-hot .476. Kott had 35 assists and 10 digs.
Tani Hoke added 20 digs
The season is over, but the awards are still to come. The Pacific West Conference awards will come first, to be announced early next week.
,
