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Angelica Ljungqvist has a lot of running ahead of her. And the Hawaii associate head volleyball coach said she will do it with a smile.
Ljungqvist, a four-time All-American middle blocker for the Rainbow Wahine, told the Hawaii players she would do a lap on the track for every block the team put up this season. Three matches in, Ljungqvist owes 50 laps — about 12.5 miles — including 18 from Sunday’s stunning upset of No. 13 Washington.
Hawaii defeated the Huskies for the first time since 2008, claiming the 31st Hawaiian Airlines Classic championship with an impressive 25-20, 25-12, 20-25, 25-16 victory in front of 5,320 at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Wahine, improving to 3-0 for the first time since 2015, also won their signature event for the first time since 2013. A Pac-12 team had won all the titles since then.
“I’m so proud of them executing the game plan,” said Ljungqvist, who is in charge of blocking. “All the credit goes to the girls. They played five long sets Friday (beating No. 21 San Diego) and five long sets Saturday (beating St. John’s).
“Everyone was feeling (the fatigue). This just shows great mentality, character and really wanting it. I’ll happily run with a smile.”
>> Photo Gallery: Hawaii women’s volleyball vs. Washington
It was smiles all around on the Hawaii side of the court after the two-hour-and-one-minute contest.
Not only did the Wahine collect their 12th championship trophy in the event’s history, they also placed three on the all-tournament team.
Junior hitter Jolie Rasmussen was named the most valuable player, putting down a match-high 19 kills and keeping the Huskies off balance with a 7-0 serving run in Set 4 that helped clinch the win. Joining the Oregon transfer on the all-tournament team were Hawaii’s Norene Iosia, a senior setter, and freshman hitter Hanna Hellvig; Washington senior hitter Kara Bajema and junior middle Lauren Sanders; San Diego senior middle Megan Jacobsen; and St. John’s senior libero Amanda Sanabia.
In Sunday’s earlier de facto third-place match, No. 21 San Diego (1-2) swept St. John’s (0-3) 25-17, 25-23, 25-23.
The last time Hawaii beat Washington was in 2008 when Amber Kaufman had a school-record 11 aces in a five-set victory at the Sheriff Center. The Huskies (2-1) had won the last four meetings, including ending the Wahine’s season in the NCAA tournament in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
There also was a five-set Washington victory in Honolulu in 2016, Iosia’s freshman year.
“This was so important to us,” said Iosia, named to her third HAL all-tournament team. “After (Saturday’s) game ended, we couldn’t stop talking about how ready we were to play this one.
“Our freshmen aren’t used to playing back-to-back-to-back like this and they were calm and competed. And Jolie is amazing. I felt her presence, her leadership on the court, just wanting the ball.”
Rasmussen took 37 of Hawaii’s 120 swings, hitting .432 with just three errors. She also recorded her first double-double as a Wahine by adding 10 digs.
Asked about the serving run in Set 4, Rasmussen said: “I went back and said, ‘OK, Jolie, get them out of system and score some points. It was so much fun. It was very exciting. It was a little bit of a rivalry (Oregon and Washington). To do it with this program and these girls makes it so much sweeter.”
Hawaii, receiving votes in the national coaches preseason poll, likely will be ranked when the first poll of the regular season comes out today. The Wahine have a quick turnaround, next hosting Army in their Rainbow Wahine Invitational that starts Thursday.
Hawaii had just four matches in double-digit blocks last season, but have had 15 or more blocks in their first three this season. The Wahine had 18 on Sunday, with junior middle Sky Williams and freshman middle Amber Igiede in on nine.
Igiede was one of four true freshmen who played over the three-day event. Hellvig, hitter Riley Wagoner and middle Tiffany Westerberg are the others.
Bajema finished with a team-high 14 kills and sophomore Claire Hoffman, who entered in Set 2, added 11. Senior libero Shayne McPherson had a match-high 16 digs.
Hawaii’s block party started early with five stuffs in Set 1, Williams in on four. The Wahine defense also included 17 digs, seven by starting senior setter Bailey Choy.
There was only one tie in both Sets 1 and 2 — that at 1-1 — and then it wasn’t close. Set 2 was particularly impressive for Hawaii, which added another five blocks and three aces.
Iosia had two aces during a 6-0 serving run that Hawaii running away at 19-7. The Huskies cut it to 22-11 and 23-12 but Rasmussen finished it off with her ninth and 10th kills to send the Wahine into the locker room up 2-0.
Washington came out with the momentum, taking its first lead at 3-2. UW’s third came at 5-4 and the Huskies never let go, riding the arm of Bajema , who had seven kills in Set 3.
Set 4 was tight until Hawaii expanded its 14-13 lead to a deciding 21-13 behind Rasmussen.
No. 21 San Diego 3, St. John’s 0: Jacobsen put down a 12 kills with just one error and was in on six of the Toreros’ 10 blocks in the 82-minute sweep of the Red Storm.
Senior hitter Thana Fayad added 11 kills and 11 digs for USD, which had to rally in the final two sets to pick up the first win of the season.
For St. John’s, sophomore opposite Rachele Rastelli finished with a match-high 15 digs and Sanabia had six digs. Sanabia was the tournament leader in digs with 40.
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