Hawaii will face a test of resilience today after the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team opened a three-match road trip with a roller-coaster five-set loss to Utah Valley on Thursday in Orem, Utah.
Utah Valley senior Kristen Bell put away 18 kills and closed out the Wolverines’ 25-23, 14-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-12 win over the Wahine, who face No. 22 San Diego today in a match in the Utah Classic scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
“We can’t dwell on it too long, but we have to take some things away from this game,” UH coach Robyn Ah Mow said in a phone interview. “It’s a really quick turnaround.”
UH senior Brooke Van Sickle led the Wahine with 20 kills and 24 digs, both career highs, and had three aces, but UH fell to 2-2 after dropping its first road match of the season. Middle blocker Amber Igiede finished with 15 kills, also a new career best, and nine blocks. Senior middle blocker Skyler Williams was in on seven of UH’s season-high 16 blocks.
The Wahine hit .210 to Utah Valley’s .198, but the pivotal points belonged to the Wolverines late in the match.
Utah Valley outside hitter Tori Dorius had three kills and a block in Utah Valley’s pivotal 5-0 run late in the fifth set and Bell’s final kill capped the Wolverines’ win at Lockhart Arena. Dorius finished with 12 kills, as did UVU senior Kazna Tanuvasa in the program’s first win in four meetings with UH.
“Utah Valley played an awesome game,” Ah Mow said. “They played lights-out defense, serving was great, passing was great. They just played great.
“We needed to step up on our side. We just got timid a little bit.”
UH committed five hitting errors and five service errors in the first set to fall behind Utah Valley, which made the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in the spring as the Western Athletic Conference tournament champion.
After the Wahine caught the Wolverines at 20-20, they couldn’t find the court on their next three serves and Bell finished off the set.
UH ran away with the second set, opening up a 14-8 lead on back-to-back aces by Van Sickle. Igiede had a kill and two blocks in a six-point surge as UH led 23-12 and went on to tie the match.
UH led 19-18 in the third set before Utah Valley scored the next three points, taking the lead on a kill by setter Abbie Miller, who added an ace after a UH timeout to give the Wolverines a 21-19 edge. UH was able to fend off two set points before Bell ended the set.
The fourth set was again close throughout and Utah Valley earned match point at 24-23. But Van Sickle kept UH alive and the Wahine took the lead on Williams’ solo block. Williams then teamed with Martyna Leoniak on a block of Tanuvasa to send the match to a fifth set.
With UH up 10-9 in the final set, Dorius, a 6-foot-4 junior, tied it up with a kill and Utah Valley took the lead when Williams hit long. Dorius put down consecutive kills, then blocked Van Sickle to give the Wolverines a 14-10 lead. UH fought off two match points before Bell, who hit .326 for the match, closed out the Utah Valley win.
Igiede was the most efficient UH attacker in hitting .429 in the middle. Williams hit .365, but none of the other Wahine broke .200. Setter Mylana Byrd finished with 46 assists and 13 digs. Freshmen Mia Johnson and Martyna Leoniak each posted eight kills.
Rainbow Wahine volleyball
At Salt Lake City, Utah
Hawaii (2-2) vs. No. 22 San Diego (1-1)
>> When: Today, 8:30 a.m.
>> TV: none
>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM
>> Streaming video: pac-12.com
