A first-place showdown between the top two women’s volleyball teams in the Big West Conference came down to a review.
UCSB senior outside hitter Michelle Ohwobete was credited with her match-high 18th kill after an official review overturned a point and gave the Gauchos a 25-22, 19-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-13 win over Hawaii on Friday night at the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, Calif.
The Rainbow Wahine survived three match points to get to 14-13 when Ohwobete’s kill attempt landed out. UCSB challenged the play looking for a call at the net that was eventually overturned, allowing the Gauchos (18-2) to remain undefeated in conference play at 8-0.
Hawaii (12-6) dropped into a three-way tie for second place at 5-2 with Long Beach State and Cal Poly. UH will play at the Mustangs today at 4 p.m.
“We knew,” junior outside hitter Paula Guersching said of the final point that was ruled to touch a UH blocker. “I think it wasn’t that ball that made us lose the game. I don’t have a crazy feeling about the call. I’m just more mad about everything that happened before.”
Guersching hit .366 with a career-high 16 kills to lead UH, which dropped to 2-2 in five-set matches this season.
Amber Igiede added 15 kills and seven blocks and Riley Wagoner finished with 13 kills, 16 digs, two aces and two blocks.
Junior setter Kate Lang posted a double-double with 43 assists and 22 digs despite spending part of the match running a 6-2 offense with backup setter Jackie Matias.
Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow played 11 players. Middle Kennedi Evans tied a career high with 13 kills as four UH players combined for 60 of the team’s 64 kills.
“I can’t knock Santa Barbara. They came in and played well,” Ah Mow said. “We scouted them and they did exactly what we thought they were going to do.”
The numbers for both teams were similar across the board. UH outhit the Gauchos .210 to .200 and had five more digs. UCSB had a 10-9 advantage in blocks and had nine aces to UH’s six
The Rainbow Wahine took a 22-21 lead in the first set on a Wagoner kill before the Gauchos closed out the set scoring the final four points.
Ohwobete put down back-to-back kills to prompt a UH timeout at 23-22. The Rainbow Wahine had a chance to tie the game in system after a touch on the block, but a miscommunication between Lang, who set middle, and Igiede, who went to the outside, resulted in set point for the Gauchos.
Ohwobete finished it with a tip over a UH double block to give the Gauchos the opening set.
“I think you’ve got to look at the bigger picture of the setting. The decision-making on the setting and where the sets are,” Ah Mow said. “We always know they are going to double-block Amber, but we’ve still got to set her. We didn’t get that going, and then you start trying to force it when you’re not passing and then frustration starts setting in.”
Ah Mow switched it up in the second set, with Tayli Ikenaga taking over for Talia Edmonds at libero.
Ikenaga, who finished with 17 digs, settled UH down defensively and allowed Hawaii to hit .379 to even things up.
UCSB jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the third set, prompting Ah Mow to bring in Matias and Caylen Alexander for the first time.
UH trailed by as many as six points before tying the match at 18-18 on a Guersching kill.
The set was tied for the final time at 21-all before UCSB ripped off the final four points.
The fourth set was tied at 20-20 when UH used three kills from Guersching over its final five points to force a deciding fifth set.
UH trailed 9-6 when it brought Matias back in as a second setter. Wagoner was blocked to give UCSB match point at 14-10 when UH almost came back to send it to extras.
Evans and Wagoner put down kills, prompting a UCSB timeout, and a rare attacking error by Tasia Farmer made it 14-13 before the final point was overturned to end it.
Farmer had just two errors with 16 kills in 34 swings to hit .412.
“I think we’re better than every single team in the conference, so if we can just change one or two things we need to work on, we are capable of doing it,” Guersching said. “The season isn’t over.”
