University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team fights off CSU Bakersfield

Hawaii started today’s match at Cal State Bakersfield with a new look at the outside hitter positions, and the Rainbow Wahine middles powered a four-set win at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif.

UH sophomore Amber Igiede put away a career-high 20 kills and senior Skyler Williams also set a career best with 16 as the Big West-leading Rainbow Wahine held off the Roadrunners in a 26-24, 24-26, 25-23, 25-19 victory.

UH improved to 19-6 overall and 16-1 in conference play and stretched its winning streak to eight going into a match at Cal Poly on Saturday.

UH opened the match without kills leader Brooke Van Sickle and sophomore Riley Wagoner in the starting group with freshman Mia Johnson and sophomore Braelyn Akana in the lineup.

UH fought off a set point in the opening set and closed with a 3-0 run to win it 26-24 on a kill by Igiede.

The Roadrunners turned the tables in the second with a late rally to tie the match. Van Sickle entered the match to start the third set and Wagoner subbed in midway through the set. Van Sickle put away four of her first five attempts and her ace gave UH a 20-16 lead. CSUB rallied to tie the set at 22-22 but Igiede hammered back-to-back kills and Wagoner’s first kill of the night gave UH the set and a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Wahine rolled the momentum into the fourth set and led 6-2 when Wagoner hammered an overpass. The Wahine reached match point at 24-18 on Igiede’s final kill and a CSUB service error ended the match.

Johnson finished with seven kills in 14 attempts and Van Sickle added eight kills in 12 swings in the final two sets.

Hana Makonova led CSUB with 14 kills on the Roadrunners’ senior night.