How Sweet 16 it is

COLLEGE STATION, Texas >> Stunning.

Simply stunning.

In its efficiency, focus and determination.

No. 7 Hawaii took all the lessons learned from Friday’s five-set near-disaster against TCU and returned to Reed Arena composed and ready to prove the NCAA selection committee and a volleyball world full of doubters wrong. Led by junior opposite Nikki Taylor’s 14 kills and a balanced attack that kept 10th-seeded host Texas A&M guessing for most of the 89 minutes, the Rainbow Wahine handed the Aggies just their second loss in 15 home matches this season, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20.

After not advancing out of the second round the last three times when it was sent on the road — all three at Washington — Hawaii completed its personal Texas two-step to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 2011. The Rainbow Wahine (28-1) will ride a 23-match win streak into Wells Fargo Arena to face the seventh-seeded two-time defending national champion Penn State (28-5) in Des Moines, Iowa. The match will pit the two winningest coaches in the sport in the Wahine’s Dave Shoji and Russ Rose of the Nittany Lions.

Getting through the second round was a hump that often loomed as large as Mauna Kea, an obstacle that the Wahine hadn’t conquered since the current players were barely on the program’s recruiting radar.

“This match was personal to me,” Shoji said. “I didn’t tell the team how much I wanted us to get to the regional, how important it was for the program to get over the hump.

“No matter what happened in this, win or lose, we had a great season. But we waited for the last match to play our best.”

Hawaii never lost its rhythm, establishing the ability to score from all positions early and run an offense that only a night before had been called “one-dimensional” by TCU coach Jill Kramer after her team lost in five. The Wahine played phenomenal defense, led by sophomore libero Savanah Kahakai, who finished with 19 of the team’s 45 digs, including six in the final set that helped complete the sweep.

The balance showed in the smart set selections by both setters — junior Tayler Higgins and sophomore Kendra Koelsch — that had Hawaii hitting .349 for the night. A night after putting down a career-high 19 kills, senior middle Olivia Magill had 10 and was in on five of Hawaii’s six blocks.

The X-factor may have been sophomore hitter Kalei Greeley, putting away 10 kills with no errors on 16 swings. There had been doubts, given her chronic shoulder problem, that she would be able to play in either match this week — she had had limited practice time.

“I try to do everything I can to help the team,” Greeley said. “Everyone came in really focused and I’m proud how our team handled everything.”

Taylor, who took 59 swings Friday and 34 Saturday, agreed.

“I think we were nervous (Friday),” she said. “There was a little bit of jitters, but we got all our jitters out. We needed to focus tonight. I think we played almost flawless.”

Set 1 saw four lead changes and eight ties, the last at 16, with two kills by Koelsch putting Hawaii ahead for good at 18-16. Unlike Friday, when Hawaii couldn’t close out Set 3 after having a 24-19 lead, the Wahine held when the Aggies fought off two set points to pull to 24-22, ending it on a kill by sophomore middle Emily Maglio.

Texas A&M managed to tie it three times in Set 2 but never took the lead as the Wahine got six kills from Greeley and Taylor, and three of their six blocks to take a 2-0 lead into the break. Hawaii has yet to drop a Set 2 in its 29 matches this year.

The Wahine continued to quiet the announced home crowd of 2,080 in Set 3, taking leads of 10-4 and 20-13. Aggies junior middle Jazzmin Babers broke three of her 10 kills and Texas A&M rallied to 24-19, the same Set 3 score from Friday when the Frogs’ 7-0 run won it 26-24.

“Heck, yes, that went through my mind,” Taylor said. “But we managed to fight through.”

A service error by Higgins made it 24-20, but that would be it for the Aggies scoring, with Magill ending their comeback hopes with her 10th kill.

“I think this was a statement for us, that it shows the nation the ability of what we can do,” Taylor said. “We’ve been considered the underdog. I’m proud of the way we could fly so far away from home, not have a home-court advantage and show what we are capable (of) as a team.”

Babers, the daughter of former UH football player Dino Babers and former Wahine volleyball player Sue Hemenway Babers, shared team-high honors of 10 kills with All-SEC senior hitter Shelby Sullivan. Sophomore libero Amy Nettles had 10 digs.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed, but it wasn’t quite our night,” said A&M coach Laurie Corbelli, hosting a subregional for the first time since 2011. “Hawaii executed flawlessly, hit some difficult shots that were difficult to defend.

“They had 18 kills in Set 1, we had 11, and it possibly had us wondering if we were going to get our offense going. And No. 9 (Magill) had a really nice match. It was difficult to defend her.”

Hawaii will stay in College Station until Tuesday, when the team will leave for Des Moines. In Friday’s other semifinal, second-seeded Minnesota (28-4) faces unseeded Illinois (21-12). The Fighting Illini upset 15th-seeded Louisville on Saturday.

Notes

A number of former Wahine players attended the match, including Sue Babers, Diana Jessie, Nicki Thomas and Jen Roberts, the latter three living in Texas.

Hawaii def. Texas A&M, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20

Key — s: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct: hitting percentage; d: digs; bs: block solo; ba: block assists; pts: points (kills plus blocks plus aces).

Service Aces — Hawaii 5 (Taylor 2, Higgins 2, Greeley). Texas A&M 2 (Nettles, Hardesty). Service errors — Hawaii 6 (Higgins 3, Kahakai, Taylor, Greeley). Texas A&M 5 (Hardesty 3, Aiple, Sullivan). Assists — Hawaii 46 (Higgins 37, Kahakai 5, Koelsch, Magill, Taylor, Manu-Olevao). Texas A&M 36 (Aiple 29, Sullivan 2, Nettles 2, Babers, Hardesty, Arenas). T — 1:29. Officials —Mary Blalock, David Dufrene. A — 2,080.