The Swedes have a word for it: imponerande (impressive).
No. 18 Hawaii has two words for it: Hanna Hellvig.
The Rainbow Wahine freshman hitter from Lidingo, Sweden, was good when it mattered and even better when it mattered the most … at the end. Hellvig had career highs of 17 kills and 17 digs to help lift Hawaii to a 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-15 victory over Utah Valley in Friday’s second match of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Challenge.
A Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 4,183 saw Hawaii (8-0) remain unbeaten heading into tonight’s de facto championship match of the 25th annual tournament against UCLA. The Bruins (5-2) won their fifth straight and go for their fourth Outrigger title — first since 2014. The Wahine are seeking their 18th, first since 2015.
>> Click here to see photos of the match between Hawaii and Utah Valley.
The showdown between the tournament’s unbeatens was set up courtesy of UCLA’s 25-9, 25-18, 27-25 sweep of West Virginia in Friday’s first match.
It will be the 76th meeting between the schools dating to 1974, Hawaii’s first season. UCLA leads the series 38-37, winning the past four contests, all in Honolulu.
In today’s de facto third-place match, the Mountaineers take on the Wolverines at 4 p.m.
Hawaii was missing junior hitter Jolie Rasmussen, who went down with an ankle injury in Thursday’s victory over West Virginia. With their kills leader out, the Wahine went to Hellvig often (team-high 37 attempts).
“I’m pretty used to that back in Sweden,” Hellvig said. “I feel confident in taking the role. But of course I want Jolie to come back.”
It is doubtful that Rasmussen will be cleared to play tonight.
“All I’m going to say is it’s a ‘W’,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “Everything was ugly. We’re hoping to regroup and get another ‘W’ tomorrow.”
Hellvig had five of her kills and seven of her digs in Set 4, wrapping up her first career double-double. Junior hitter Brooke Van Sickle had five of her 11 kills and two of her three aces during the final set.
“It should have ended in three,” Hellvig said. “We had to come back (after dropping Set 3) and I felt there was a different energy. For me I wanted to be as aggressive as I could.”
Ah Mow also credited the play of freshman middle Amber Igiede (nine kills, six blocks) and redshirt junior libero Rika Okino as key.
Hawaii had just nine kills in Set 1 — five by Hellvig — but used 13 hitting errors by Utah Valley to take the opener.
The Wolverines cleaned up their mistakes in Set 2 and seriously threatened to take a set off the Wahine for the first time in three contests. Trailing 20-17, a kill by UH senior hitter McKenna Ross put Okino on the service line, staring at a 20-18 deficit. Okino never left, serving for seven straight, including an ace and two timeouts by Utah Valley.
The teams traded sides and extended service stints. This time it was Utah Valley’s Jasmine Niutupuivaha (Kahuku) camping out on the baseline, the senior middle’s two aces pushing the Wolverines to a 9-2 lead.
The margin grew to 13-3 before Hawaii found some sort of offense. Two kills by freshman middle Tiffany Westerberg helped cut it to 19-15.
The climb proved to be too steep for the Wahine, who held off one set point but not a second.
Senior setter Norene Iosia started off Set 4 with an ace, her third of the 2 hours and 8 minutes, and Hawaii never trailed.
Sophomore hitter Kazna Tarawhiti finished with a match-high 21 kills for Utah Valley. Junior hitter Bailey Christensen added 12 kills and 10 digs.
UCLA 3, West Virginia 0
Junior hitter Mac May put down 18 kills and the Bruins needed 76 minutes to sweep the Mountaineers, 25-9, 25-18, 27-25.
UCLA had four players in double-figure digs, led by sophomore libero Kelli Barry’s 15. Sophomore setter Devon Chang finished with a double-double (21 assists, 11 digs).
Sophomore middle Kristina Jordan led West Virginia with 11 kills.
The Mountaineers made things interesting at the end of Set 3. After trailing 5-0 and 7-1, West Virginia tied it at 24 and 25, but two kills by May ended it.
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25th Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Challenge
Stan Sheriff Center
Thursday
>> UCLA def. Utah Valley, 25-15, 25-20, 25-19
>> No. 18 Hawaii def. West Virginia, 18-25, 25-17, 25-17, 27-25
Friday
>> UCLA def. West Virginia, 25-9, 25-18, 27-25
>> No. 18 Hawaii def. Utah Valley, 25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-15
Saturday
>> West Virginia (4-4) vs. Utah Valley (2-7), 4 p.m.
>> UCLA (5-2) at No. 18 Hawaii (8-0), 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Ch. 16/1016 (Hawaii match only)
>> Radio: 1420-AM/92.7-FM (Hawaii match only
