The lineup cards being handed out at the Stan Sheriff Center mistakenly listed Portland’s nickname as “Pirates” and not “Pilots.” Either way, Portland continued to make its first Pacific Ocean crossing a success.
Led by 18 kills from junior middle Shayla Hoeft, a Seabury Hall graduate, Portland outlasted Hawaii 19-25, 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8 Friday in both teams’ second match of the 24th Outrigger Volleyball Challenge. It was the first meeting between the Pilots (8-0) and the Rainbow Wahine (3-3), the latter who wasted the first career triple-double by junior setter-hitter Norene Iosia (15 kills-14 assists-13 digs).
Portland can wrap up the tournament title today when it faces Idaho (5-3) at 3 p.m. The Vandals handed San Diego State its sixth straight loss, defeating the Aztecs (1-7) in Friday’s first match, 25-19, 20-25, 30-28, 25-14.
San Diego State and Hawaii meet in Sunday’s 5 p.m. finale, a match that pits two Hawaii All-Americans and Olympians as head coaches: SDSU’s Deitre Collins-Parker and Hawaii’s Robyn Ah Mow-Santos.
It was an all-too-familiar scenario Friday night for Hawaii, which went 3-6 last season in five-setters. The Wahine trailed for most of Set 5, including 8-5 at the crossover.
A kill by Iosia brought Hawaii to within 9-8, but Casey Castillo’s service error jump-started Portland’s 6-0 closing run that saw senior hitter Reghan Pukis put down three of her 15 kills. Sophmore hitter Izzy Guzik also had 15 kills for the Pilots, who outblocked the Wahine 14-5.
UH senior hitter McKenna Granato had 15 kills for her sixth consecutive match in double digits and junior middle Natasha Burns finished with 10 kills. Senior libero Tita Akiu had 25 digs and senior setter Faith Ma’afala also had a double-double with 36 assists and 15 digs.
Granato picked up where she left off on Thursday with seven kills in Set 1. The Wahine cleaned up their serves, their last of four allowing the Pilots to close to 10-9.
Hawaii, which had used a modified 6-2 with two setters on the court in the same rotation, went to a traditional 6-2, alternating Iosia and Ma’afala in the back row. Iosia then remained in the front row at opposite, her first kill putting the Wahine ahead 17-15, her third making it 23-18.
Junior hitter Kirsten Sibley’s kill ended it, handing the Pilots just their fifth set loss of the season.
Portland more than avenged that, using several isle prep products to do it. Hoeft got away for five kills and sophomore libero Carey Williams (Kahuku) had a 5-0 serving run that included one of the Pilots’ three Set 2 aces.
With Granato going without a kill in Set 2 as Hawaii hit negative-.025, and looked bad doing it, Portland rolled out to leads of 16-6, 21-9 and 24-10 before using the Wahine’s third service error to even the match. It was the worst set loss since falling to Stanford 25-9 in the 2008 NCAA regional final.
Williams would finish with 28 digs in the seesaw match.
Portland dominated late in Set 3 and Hawaii did the same in Set 4, with Iosia’s 10th dig giving her the triple-double as the Wahine took a 19-15 lead.
Then the two words that have haunted Hawaii since losing in five to Illinois in December’s NCAA first round: Set 5.
Idaho 3, San Diego State 1
The Vandals turned the momentum by rallying from a 23-20 deficit and holding off two Aztecs set points in taking Set 3. Senior hitters Reece Carman and Kaela Straw each finished with 15 kills and senior libero Alycia Wodke 34 digs.
For the Aztecs, junior hitter Ashlynn Dunbar had a match-high 18 kills, senior middle Deja Harris added 15 and sophomore libero Sam McGrath had 22 digs.
Notes
For the second consecutive night, No. 22 Cal Poly upset No. 9 UCLA in four in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Junior hitter Torrey van Winden, who played for the Bruins as a freshman, had 26 kills in the 17-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23 win … Hawaii’s opponent next week, No. 18 Oregon, upset No. 1 Minnesota on Friday, 25-23, 25-23, 25-27, 25-23.
