University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team sweeps UC San Diego
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii head coach Robyn Ah Mow instructs her team during the first set of a women’s NCAA volleyball game against UC Irvine on Friday.
Another home conference match, another sweep for the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team, which beat UC San Diego 25-14, 25-21, 25-20 on Sunday.
With their seventh consecutive win, the Big West leading Rainbow Wahine improved to 15-1 in the conference and 18-6 overall in front of 1,957 spectators at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Tritons fell to 6-10 and 9-18.
UH has won all eight of its home conference matches this season, seven of them by sweep.
In the first set Sunday, the Tritons got it as close as 14-12 with one of Trinity Castaneda’s 12 kills. Then the Wahine pulled away with a five-point run, with Riley Wagoner finding a wide-open space on the UCSD side of the court for a kill and a 19-12 lead.
Amber Igiede threw down two kills and one of her three blocks in the set after that to help the Wahine close it out. Skyler Williams had five of her 11 kills in the set.
The Wahine led 20-13 in the second set and appeared to be on their way to an easy win. But Grace Cannon’s three kills fueled a Tritons rally that got them to 22-20 when Wagoner hit into the net. The Wahine regrouped with a block by Igiede and Tiffany Westerberg and Igiede’s kill to finish it.
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The Tritons hung around to 22-20 in the third set, but two kills from Brooke Van Sickle and a block by her and Williams closed out the match.
Igiede led UH with 13 kills and nine blocks. She also had six digs. Ava McInnes led UCSD with 13 kills.
Hawaii outblocked the Tritons 15-3.
UH goes on the road for matches at Cal State Bakersfield and Cal Poly before returning home for the final regular-season matches, against CSUN on Nov. 26, and senior night on Nov. 27 against UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos are right behind the Wahine in the Big West standings.
