No. 5 Baylor sends University of Hawaii volleyball team to first loss

And then there were two.

And Hawaii isn’t one of them.

The Rainbow Wahine volleyball team saw its undefeated season end after 93 minutes in Waco, Texas, on Sunday when they fell to the No. 5 Bears in the Baylor Classic, 25-19, 25-23, 25-22. Baylor (9-0) remains alone with No. 24 Cal (10-0) in the unbeaten ranks after No. 13 Hawaii (10-1) and No. 6 Pitt lost on Sunday, the Panthers (11-1) defeated at home in five by No. 4 Penn State.

“Of course we’re disappointed, we could have played better,” Wahine freshman hitter Hanna Hellvig said in a telephone call. “It is different not being in our own arena.

>> Photo Gallery: Baylor snaps Hawaii’s win streak

“What we learned from this is we have to stay focused and aggressive, even without the crowd behind us. We need to be confident and keep pushing through, no matter how long the travel.”

Hawaii continues its first road trip of the season, leaving today for California. The Wahine open Big West play at Long Beach State (3-9) on Friday and Cal State Northridge (5-7) on Saturday.

Hellvig was the only Wahine in double-figure kills, finishing with 12, her fourth consecutive match with 11 or more kills. Freshman middle Amber Igiede added nine kills with no errors on 12 swings and junior middle Sky Williams was in on five of the team’s 71⁄2 blocks.

Junior hitter Brooke Van Sickle was named to the all-tournament team as the best defender. She had 10 digs and four blocks Sunday to go with 14 digs and five blocks in Saturday’s five-set victory over No. 17 Missouri.

The Bears, celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Ferrell Center’s opening, got 19 kills from tournament MVP and best scorer Yossiana Pressley, and 18 kills and six blocks from middle Shelly Stafford, the graduate student named best blocker. Junior Hannah Locklin, who had 46 assists and had Baylor hitting .387, was named best setter.

Baylor had dropped just two sets coming into Sunday’s match. Hawaii had its chances to make it three in Set 2.

The Wahine were cruising at 17-10, and then the wheels fell off. Baylor, which averages 6-foot-3 across the front, had three blocks to pull to 18-17.

Hawaii didn’t have a service error until senior setter Norene Iosia’s serve went long to tie at 20. Stafford continued her hot hand, her 12th kill giving the Bears their first lead at 21-20, and the Wahine were chasing from there.

Despite a second service error Hawaii did tie at 23, but another service error gave Baylor set point. The Bears didn’t need another. Pressley nailed her 11th kill to complete the comeback.

Down 2-0, Hawaii didn’t fold. The Wahine led as late as 17-16 before two kills each by Pressley and Stafford swung the momentum to the Bears.

Hawaii tied it at 22, but as happened in Set 2 when it was 23-23, the Wahine couldn’t close. At match point, senior hitter Gia Milana had the match-ender, just as she had done when Baylor knocked Hawaii out of last year’s NCAA tournament in five, a match the Wahine led 2-0.

“I think it was our side a lot of the time,” senior setter Bailey Choy said of what led to the loss. “It was us who made the errors.

“We need to use this as a learning experience, something that will help us get better. It’s about taking care of the small things, the things we can control.

“Going into Set 3 1-1 would have helped us with momentum. But we never gave up. I’m pretty proud of us.”

Wahine coach Robyn Ah Mow echoed that.

“I liked that they kept fighting, that they didn’t give up, and that was the biggest thing for today,” she said. “That was a way bigger team, a really good team, and we had our chances. We were right there.

“Baylor took care of business and we didn’t. It’s a learning game right now.”

Note

Hawaii junior hitter Jolie Rasmussen has remained in Honolulu to rehab her right ankle that was sprained in the Sept. 13 match with West Virginia. Her status remains doubtful and it is unclear whether she will be available to travel and compete in this week’s matches.