Box Score HONOLULU, Oahu--UH Hilo survived a marathon second set and used a balanced attack to plant a 25-18, 31-29, 25-18 win over Cal State East Bay in the nightcap of the Hawaii Challenge at McCabe Gymnasium.

The hard fought win allowed the Vulcans to salvage a split on their opening day, moving to 1-1 in 2021. The Pioneers, who defeated Montana State-Billings in five sets earlier in the day, fell to 4-2 on the season. 

The Vulcans, who fell in four sets earlier in the day to St. Martin's, have a chance for revenge against the Saints on Saturday afternoon at 4 pm.

Libero Tani Hoke had a career-high 33 digs in just three sets to pace a defense that was busy all night with 74 total digs. Transfer middle blocker Sydney Gott (Feather River) led a unified effort on offense with 13 kills and just two errors for an attack percentage of .458. Alexandria Parisian added 10 kills and Bria Beale was just outside double figures with nine. 

Kendall Kott ran the offense with 33 assists and four kills and had 16 digs on defense.

Still stinging from the loss earlier to the Saints, the Vulcans roared out to a 7-0 lead in the first set of the final match of the day. Gott and Ashton Jessee had four kills each in the 25-18 win, with Parisian and Beale adding three. 

The second set was a different animal. Neither team led by more than three points until the Vulcans took 21-17, 23-19 and 24-20 leads to seemingly have the set in hand. But the Pioneers rallied back with five straight points (25-24) to set up game point. Gott and Beale scored the next two points (26-25), but CSUEB responded with two more of their own for another set point. Gott and Parisian answered, but ditto for the Pios to make it 29-28. UHH then scored the final three points of the set with Jessee, Beale and finally the setter Kott to wrap up the lenghy scrap, 31-29.

The Pioneers broke out to an 8-5 lead in the third but the Vulcans scored the next four points and would never trail again. Gott put down her 13th kill of the night to put 24 points on the board before a Cal State service error ended the match.

The Vulcans had eight block assists to CSUEB's two and UHH hit .229 on the night.