HILO, Hawai'i – The Hawai'i Hilo women's volleyball team got win No. 1 in 2022 as the Vulcans took down Hawai'i Pacific in four sets Saturday evening at Vulcan Gymnasium to open the Pacific West Conference season at 1-0.
After handedly taking the opening set, the Vulcans were met with tougher resistance from the Sharks as set No. 2 was a two-point win followed by HPU flipping the score to take the third frame before the final back-and-forth pendulum swinging of set No. 4. UH Hilo ultimately came out on top by scores of 25-13, 25-23, 14-25 and 25-23.
"We know we're going to be in a lot of really close games this year. We don't have a big margin for error," Hawai'i Hilo head coach Chris Leonard said. "It got a little more interesting in sets three and four than I think we were anticipating after the first set. To HPU's credit, they got better over the course of that match, but we found a way to get it done."
The final set saw the Vulcans jump out to a 7-0 lead before the Sharks battled back with a six-point rally to tie the score up at 11. Both teams traded points as HPU squeaked ahead, but a huge five-point swing kept the Vulcans alive before closing out the match with three consecutive scores for the victory.
"Tonight was certainly a reminder of how much fun it is to play in front of a loud and vibrant crowd," Leonard said. "For a lot of players, it was the first time they've had a chance to play in a really tight match in an environment like that. That can go one or two ways sometimes, but we were talking to them about, 'hey enjoy the moment. This is why we play. This is fun.'"
By The Numbers
- Junior Nikki Logan (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS) tallied a team-leading 15 kills with one-third of them coming in the final set.
- Kamryn Childs (Syracuse, Utah/Syracuse HS) also had a team-best 15 kills, slamming down five of them in the fourth set as well. Childs also had four assists and two service aces.
- Samara Cruz (Escondido, Calif./Escondido HS) followed right behind with 14 kills along with four aces and 12 digs.
- Freshman Emerson Reinke (Arvada, Colo./Ralston Valley HS) totaled a career-high 45 assists along with seven digs.
- Libero Tani Hoke (Kailua, Hawai'i/Maryknoll School) matched a season-high of 24 digs.
- At one point in the second set, the Vulcans went on an 11-1 run. HPU also had eight consecutive points in the frame and later outscored UH Hilo, 12-2, on its way to a third-set win.
- Marley Sandoval and Demi Winters led the Sharks in kills with 15 and 14, respectively.
What's Next
Hawai'i Hilo improved to 1-6 (1-0 PacWest) as Hawai'i Pacific fell to 0-8 (0-2 PacWest).
The Vulcans will have a quick turnaround as they take on defending champion Chaminade (6-6, 1-0 PacWest) Sunday afternoon at home at 3 p.m.
The Sharks will return to O'ahu to host Academy of Art and Point Loma Nazarene next weekend.
Chaminade swept HPU last Thursday to open each of their conference seasons.
Subway Swipes for Students
The first 50 University of Hawai'i at Hilo students to attend and show valid I.D. at Sunday's match will get a free Subway gift card.
AT THE TOP
Prior to Saturday's match, Vulcan senior setter Kendall Kott (Shingle Springs, Calif./Ponderosa HS) was recognized for her accomplishments last month in becoming the Hawai'i Hilo women's volleyball all-time career assists leader.
In the Aug. 20 match against Alaska Anchorage, Kott surpassed Sienna Davis' (2013-16) 2,833-assists mark.
