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Wahine volleyball team beats UC Davis to reach Big West final

IRVINE, Calif. >> Caylen Alexander’s final two swings resulted in the final two points of a dramatic 25-22, 16-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-13 win over UC Davis in the semifinals of the Outrigger Big West Women’s Volleyball Championship tonight at Bren Events Center.

The Rainbow Wahine’s season came down to their 11th five-set match. They trailed 7-4, scored the next six points, and then gave up a 5-1 run to fall behind 12-11.

Jacyn Bamis, who tied a career high with 15 kills and hit .448, put Hawaii back in front with two kills.

Olivia Utterback, UC Davis’ first-team, All-Big West outside hitter, hammered her 18th kill of the match before Alexander, the Big West Player of the Year, ended it to give her a match-high 22 kills.

Hawaii (20-9) secured its fifth straight 20-win season and advance to Saturday’s tournament championship against No. 1 seed Cal Poly, which swept Long Beach State in the other semifinal, at 3 p.m.

Alexander led five Rainbow Wahine in double figures in digs with 17. UH outdug the Aggies (19-10) 86 to 70.

Tali Hakas and Stella Adeyemi added 11 kills apiece. Adeyemi came alive in the fifth set with four kills, including three during the run that turned a 7-4 deficit into a 10-7 lead.

Tayli Ikenaga finished with a match-high 19 digs and setter Kate Lang added 50 assists and 17 digs.

Hawaii is 7-4 in five-set matches.

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