Hawaii sweeps Texas State for first win of season
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii’s Amber Igiede battled at the net against Texas State’s Jillian Slaughter and Janell Fitzgerald.
Hawaii middle blocker Amber Igiede put down 20 kills and dished out an assist on match point and the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team earned its first win of the season with a sweep of Texas State in its home opener tonight at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Igiede tied her career high kill total while hitting .562 and outside hitter Riley Wagoner’s 12th kill, coming off an out-of-system set from Igiede, closed out UH’s 28-26, 25-20, 27-25 victory before tonight’s crowd of 3,413 to cap the first day of the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge.
Freshman outside hitter Caylen Alexander added nine kills in her Sheriff Center debut. UH setter Kate Lang tied a career high with four kills go along with 43 assists and 10 digs for her third double-double of the season.
The tournament continues Friday with the Rainbow Wahine (1-3) facing West Virginia (2-2) at 7 p.m.
>> PHOTOS: Hawaii vs. Texas State
After going 0-3 in the Texas A&M Invitational last week, the Wahine opened the match with a 4-1 run only to see the Bobcats take the lead with a 10-2 surge capped by an Alyssa Ortega ace. The Bobcats maintained the lead deep into the set and earned set point at 24-21 on a block by Caitlan Buettner. Wagoner kept UH alive with a cross-court kill, Lang won a joust at the net and Igiede put down a block to tie the set at 24-24.
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Riley Wagoner taps down a kill off an assist from Amber Igiede and #HawaiiWVB completes a 28-26, 25-20, 27-25 sweep of Texas State. Igiede leads UH with 20 kills, Wagoner with 12. Rainbow Wahine (1-3) face West Virginia tomorrow. @StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/02fHQuu24j
— Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) September 2, 2022
The Wahine would fend off two more set points before Alexander went down the line to give UH set point. Lang then ended a rally and the set with a tip that the Bobcats couldn’t save.
UH surged ahead in the second set with a five-point run with Wagoner on the service line. The run included a Wagoner ace and a Lang block to give UH a 15-11 lead. The Wahine closed out the set with a 4-1 run and led the match 2-0 when Alexander pushed a kill through the block.
The Wahine erased a 4-1 deficit and led 15-12 lead midway through the third set. After Texas State surged ahead at 19-17, UH answered with a four-point run only to see the Bobcats respond with a 3-0 run to take a 22-21 lead and force UH’s second timeout of the set.
UH earned match point at 24-22 on back-to-back Igiede kills, but Texas State fought off both and took the lead at 25-24. Igiede put away her 20th kill and teamed with Lang on a block with to give UH another match point. After a scramble, Igiede flicked a set to Wagoner, who found open court to seal the win.
