Vulcans volleyball ADVERTISING Vulcans volleyball Who/when: Biola (1-2 PacWest, 7-4) at UH-Hilo (1-3, 4-5), 7 p.m. Friday • Fresno Pacific (2-2, 5-7) at UH-Hilo, 2 p.m. Saturday Where: UH-Hilo gym Series: UHH leads Biola 2-1; Point Loma leads UHH 6-2
Vulcans volleyball
Vulcans volleyball
Who/when: Biola (1-2 PacWest, 7-4) at UH-Hilo (1-3, 4-5), 7 p.m. Friday
• Fresno Pacific (2-2, 5-7) at UH-Hilo, 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: UH-Hilo gym
Series: UHH leads Biola 2-1; Point Loma leads UHH 6-2
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Perhaps it’s just a statistical oddity, and one that starts to get corrected as early as Friday night.
Or maybe the UH-Hilo volleyball team is simply playing to the competition?
Whatever the reason, through 10 contests the Vulcans (1-3 Pacific West Conference, 4-6) have yet to play a five-set match. They have three sweeps for, and four against and they are 1-2 in four-set matches.
“Hot or cold,” first-year coach Gene Krieger told the Tribune-Herald a few weeks back. “I don’t like that as a pattern.”
UH-Hilo looks to reverse that trend as it finishes up a homestand against Biola University at 7 p.m. Friday, followed by Saturday matinee against Point Loma.
The Eagles (1-2, 7-4) of La Mirada, California, a PacWest newcomer, make their first conference visit to Hilo, but the Vulcans hold a 2-1 advantage all-time in the series, which started in 1978, the Vulcans’ first season of college volleyball.
All three of Biola’s conference matches – and five overall – have gone five sets, including a home loss against Point Loma. The Eagles have league statistical leaders in Brinley Beresford (9.66 assists per set, second in PacWest), Sierra Bauder (1.25 blocks, third) and Tess Van Grouw in (4.98 digs, 3rd).
The Sea Lions (5-7, 2-2), an NCAA qualifier in 2015, are tied for the second in the conference in aces, ranking only behind the Vulcans, while Holley Persson paces the PacWest in digs (5.70 digs per set).
The Vulcans split their first two home matches last week, snapping a three-game losing streak by sweeping Academy of Art, and then losing to Fresno Pacific in four games.
“We played unevenly for our first weekend at home,” Krieger said in a release. “We had a great crowd (Sept. 22) and we fed off that a bit, but it seemed like we didn’t bring the same energy to the court that Fresno Pacific did on (Sept. 23). We are still working through a lot of things, and we will have to be more than ready this weekend with two very good opponents coming to the Big Island.”
Junior transfer Lucee Fitzgerald amassed 25 kills in the split, giving the Vulcans another key hitting option to go along with Siera Green (3.27 kills per set,) and Randi Hunter (2.27). Libero Mina Grant is second in the conference in digs (5.0 per set).
Notes: Friday is Big Island Club Volleyball night, with all local volleyball club players and their coaches getting into the match for free. On Saturday, the first 100 Vulcans fans through the door will receive a black Vulcan Pride t-shirt.
