UH-Manoa roundup: No. 1 Hawaii volleyball sweeps Stanford again

It was a win-win-win-win-win scenario for the University of Hawaii volleyball team.

The Rainbow Warriors gave their seven seniors a proper sendoff and enhanced their No. 1 ranking in a sweep of Stanford on Saturday in front of a season-high crowd of 7,296 at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu. The 25-26, 25-12, 25-17 victory was the 16th in a row for UH.

Senior Taylor Averill led the way with nine kills and senior Brook Sedore added seven as Hawaii hit .409. Averill notched four blocks to overtake Costas Theoharidis (2000-‘03) for fifth in all-time total career blocks (384).

UH (23-3, 18-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) hasn’t lost since a five-setter to USC on Feb. 6.

It finishes the regular season April 17-18 at BYU, then hosts a league quarterfinal April 25 against Utah.

The Cardinal (10-16, 7-13) hit just .033 and were led by Madison Hayden’s 12 kills. Freshman libero Evan Enriques, a Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate, had four digs.

Baseball

Mark Mathias’s RBI triple capped Cal Poly’s three-run seventh inning, and the Mustangs came back to beat UH again, 3-2 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Mathias’s hit ended the night for Tyler Brashears, who had been cruising along on a two-hitter. Waiakea graduate Quentin Torres-Costa pitched the final 1 1/3 inning, walking two and striking out two.

The Rainbow Warriors (12-22, 3-5 Big West) took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Eric Ramirez singled in a run and scored on Marcus Doi’s double. UH outhit the Mustangs 8-6 but made two costly errors in the seventh in losing its third consecutive game.

Brashears (4-4) struck out seven and allowed three runs, one earned, on five hits and a walk,

Hilo graduate Chayce Kaaua was 1 for 3 while Konawaena graduate JJ Kitaoka was 0 for 3 for UH.

Softball

Brittany Hitchcock struck out six and tossed a three-hitter in the opener, but Long Beach State homered its way to a split of a doubleheader in Honolulu.

Hitchcock’s mastery helped UH (24-18, 5-4) end a six-game slide against the 49ers, 3-0. Leisha Liilii drove in a run with a hit and scored in the fifth on Rachel Lack’s RBI double. Keiki Carlos was 3 for 4 with a double. Hitchcock walked two in improving to 11-6.

Long Beach State (18-22, 5-4) took two of three in the series by jumping on Kanani Aina Cabrales (18-22, 5-4), who yielded home runs to Darian Tautalafua and Julia Lombardi in an 8-5 loss. Tautalafua homered again off Hitchcock in the seventh and Lack’s three-run homer cut the deficit to 6-5. Liilii lifted a two-run home run in the fourth.

Water polo

No. 6 UH’s second-half rally fell short in a 7-6 loss to UC Irvine in Irvine Calf.

The Wahine (13-8, 2-2 Big West), who trailed 3-0 at the half, were led by Paula Chillida Esforzado’s two goals.

Danielle Warde netted two goals for the No. 5 Anteaters (17-6, 3-0).

Sand volleyball

Brittany Tiegs and Nikki Taylor prevailed 21-18, 15-21, 15-8 in the top flight to complete No. 2 Hawaii’s 3-2 comeback victory against No. 6 Long Beach State in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

The Wahine also beat Boise State 5-0.

UH 3, Long Beach State 2

Brittany Tiegs/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Delainey Aigner-Swesey/Chelsea Cabrajac (LBSU) 21-18, 15-21, 15-8

Katie Spieler/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Anete Brinke/Tyler Jackson (LBSU) 21-16, 21-9

Jenelle Hudson/Bre Mackie (LBSU) def. Hannah Rooks/Sammie Brown (UH) 21-18, 21-19

Andrea McHugh/Ciana Wagner (LBSU) def. Heather Boyan/Lara Schreiber (UH) 21-12, 21-17

Mikayla Tucker/Ka’iwi Schucht (UH) def. Nieto/Thomas (LBSU) 13-21, 22-20, 15-13

UH 5, Boise St. 0

Brittany Tiegs/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Hannah Hubbard/Maddy O’Donnell (BSU) 21-17, 21-10

Katie Spieler/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Sarah Baugh/Sierra Nobley (BSU) 22-20, 21-13

Hannah Rooks/Sammie Brown (UH) def. Katelyn Kinghorn/Aly Duffin (BSU) 21-8, 21-10

Mikayla Tucker/Ka’iwi Schucht (UH) def. Laney Hayes/Taylor Murphey (BSU) 21-8, 21-10

Heather Boyan/Lara Schreiber (UH) def. Maddi Osburn/Jaymee-Lee Bulda (BSU) 21-13, 21-16