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Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans Athletics

HAWAI'I HILO VULCANS ATHLETICS
2
Hawaii Hilo Hilo 0-1,0-0 PacWest
3
Winner Alas. Anchorage UAA 2-0,0-0 Great Northwest
Hawaii Hilo Hilo
0-1,0-0 PacWest
2
Final
3
Alas. Anchorage UAA
2-0,0-0 Great Northwest
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Hawaii Hilo Hilo 20 23 26 25 10 (2)
Alas. Anchorage UAA 25 25 24 16 15 (3)
Team
Stephanie Burgoon / Alaska Anchorage Athletics

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Hawai‘i Hilo Sports Information

Vulcans Fall in Five Sets to Seawolves in Season Opener

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans rumbled back from a two-set deficit with a commanding Set-4 win before ultimately falling to Alaska Anchorage in the volleyball season opener — 20-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-16, 10-15 — Thursday night at the Alaska Airlines Center as part of the Alaska/Hawai'i Challenge, presented by Alaska Airlines.

The Vulcans jumped out to a 5-2 lead to start the fifth and deciding set, but Alaska Anchorage managed to string together six consecutive points before collecting the final four points to deliver the narrow defeat.

Hawai'i Hilo posted up four double-digit kill hitters: Alohi Garcia (16), Malu Garcia (13), Isabella Hadaller (11); Isabella Freeman (10); but finished .128 overall with 35 attack errors — the second highest total in a single match through at least the last five most-recent seasons. Both teams played tough on the defensive end to match each other with 93 total digs apiece.

OTHER NOTES
  • Set 2 saw the Vulcans take a 9-1 lead, but the Seawolves managed to flip the script by taking eight of the final nine points to overcome a five-point deficit.
  • Alohi Garcia New Career Highs: 17.5 Points, 16 Kills, 21 Digs
  • Isabella Freeman Career High: 10 Kills
  • Emerson Reinke matched a career high of 18 digs.
  • Alaska Anchorage junior transfer Lee Ivakina put down 20 kills (.237) and 16 digs.
  • UAA's Bailee Tucker totaled five of her 11 total kills (.261) in Set 5.
  • Vulcans Starters: Alohi Garcia, Isabella Hadaller, Emerson Reinke, Chase Koepke, Isabella Freeman, Malu Garcia, LC Nakagawa (Libero)
  • This weekend is the Vulcans' first trip to Anchorage since their last visit 20 years ago in 2005. The two programs matched up 10 times within that span with Hawai'i Hilo leading, 6-4 (UHH leads the overall series, 14-12).

Hawai'i Hilo moved to 0-1 overall (0-0 PacWest) to begin Reed Sunahara's first season as head coach.

Alaska Anchorage moved to 2-0 overall (0-0 GNAC).

Alohi Garcia Career High

UP NEXT
  • Friday, Aug. 29 (2 PM / 4 PM AKT) vs Alaska (Anchorage, Alaska / Alaska AIrlines Center)
  • Saturday, Aug. 30 (TBD) vs Alaska / Alaska Anchorage (Anchorage, Alaska / Alaska AIrlines Center)

Hawai'i Challenge

  • Friday, Sept. 5 (10 AM) vs Cal State East Bay (Honolulu, Hawai'i (O'ahu) / The Shark Tank at HPU)
  • Friday, Sept. 5 (4 PM) vs Cal Poly Humboldt (Honolulu, Hawai'i (O'ahu) / The Shark Tank at HPU)
  • Saturday, Sept. 6 (10 AM) vs St. Mary's (Honolulu, Hawai'i (O'ahu) / McCabe Gymnasium at Chaminade)
  • Saturday, Sept. 6 (4 PM) vs Cal State LA (Honolulu, Hawai'i (O'ahu) / The Shark Tank at HPU)
PACWEST PRESEASON POLL

Hawai'i Hilo was voted No. 4 in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released earlier this week. The Vulcans finished 2024 in a four-way tie for fourth place. 2025 will feature the inaugural four-team PacWest Conference Championships postseason tournament hosted by Chaminade on O'ahu (Nov. 20-21).

PURCHASE TICKETS

Season and individual tickets for the Vulcans' nine home matches this fall are available for purchase at HiloAthletics.com/tickets. New pricing tiers have been introduced for preferred and general seating. In 2024, Hawai'i Hilo ranked No. 3 in all of Division II for venue percent capacity attendance at the on-campus Vulcan Gym.

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