Rainbow Wahine wipe out Waves

There’s momentum.

Then there’s monster-mentum.

No. 15 Hawaii rode the arm of senior opposite Nikki Taylor late in Set 1 and early in Set 2 en route to a 29-27, 25-6, 25-18 sweep of Pepperdine in a nonconference volleyball match Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Taylor had an ace and five kills as the Rainbow Wahine held off eight set points in Set 1, then had five aces — including four consecutive — in opening Set 2 with an 8-0 run. Taylor finished with 13 kills and seven of the team’s 11 aces in Hawaii’s 12th straight win over the Waves dating back to 1997.

Junior middle Emily Maglio added 12 kills with no errors, hitting .750 and was in on three of the Wahine’s six blocks. Taylor added a double-double with a match-high 11 digs and freshman setter Norene Iosia also had a double-double (33 assists-10 digs) in the 89-minute victory.

“I thought we were capable of a little comeback,” Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said, his team holding the Waves to the fewest points since UC Riverside scored five last October. “We had the right server back there and we never thought we were out of it.”

The teams meet again today at 7 p.m., Hawaii’s last match before beginning Big West play on the road next week.

Pepperdine was led by sophomore hitter Nikki Lyons’ 10 kills. Junior hitter Ashley Harris, daughter of UH basketball players Rogue Harris and Jeannie Wade Harris, added six kills.

Taylor’s performance overshadowed the return of senior Annie Mitchem, who last played last Oct. 17 before two finger injuries. Mitchem returned the welcome from the crowd of 5,052 with 10 kills, her presence giving the Wahine the balanced attack it had been lacking.

And it came with the two-time All-American at Irvine Valley College playing as a left-side hitter for the first time.

“It felt really great tonight, I’ve been waiting 11 months to get back out there,” said Mitchem, a middle blocker who played some opposite last season. “It was great to have the crowd behind us.”

Comebacks have been nothing new for the Wahine, who rallied from down 8-2 in Set 5 against Arizona to win it 15-13. But likely few thought, given how in-system Pepperdine was when taking the 24-19 lead, that Hawaii could pull out another.

Taylor put down a kill, holding off what would be the first of eight set points. The Wahine tied it at 24, 25, 26 and 27 before taking their first set point at 28-27 on a kill by Taylor. It was the only one Hawaii needed, as Iosia ended it with an ace.

The rude homecoming for former Wahine associate head coach Scott Wong continued in Set 2. Given the green light to jump serve, Taylor went through her repertoire — rip, rip, rip, off-speed, short — for five aces, including four in a row, to help push it to 8-0. A five-point serving run by senior setter Tayler Higgins included three kills and a block by Maglio to make it 13-2.

Hawaii led for the entirety of Set 3. Pepperdine challenged, closing to 19-17 and 21-18. With last week’s Set 3 collapse against Washington still fresh in their collective memories — the Wahine led 24-20 and couldn’t close it out — there would be no repeat.

With Taylor again serving, two kills by Maglio sandwiched one by Mitchem to finish it. The assists came from Hawaii’s third setter, junior Kendra Koelsch.

After putting down the kill that held off the first set point, “I was thinking that it didn’t matter what the score was,” said Taylor, whose previous high in aces was four. “I was going to go back and rip it (the serve). I felt really confident and was set in my groove.

“We all thought about Washington, that we should have finished it. That really drove us to come back. We had been in (the Waves’) shoes and it drove us.”

With Mitchem back, Hawaii was able to run a much more balanced attack. Taylor, who had a career-high 70 swings against UW last week, took only 29. Mitchem had 25, sophomore left-side hitter McKenna Granato had 20 and Maglio 16.

“Right now, I wouldn’t change anything,” Shoji said. “We were more balanced and I hope to be balanced again tomorrow and stay with what we’re doing.

“I’m sure Scott will look at film, figure out some other way to attack us and we’ll have to make the adjustments as well.”

Mitchem started in place of freshman Kirsten Sibley, who missed Thursday’s practice with flu-like symptoms. Shoji said Sibley will be out for tonight’s rematch.