It would take a team effort to beat Long Beach State, and the University of Hawaii volleyball team was finally there by the fifth set.
It would take a team effort to beat Long Beach State, and the University of Hawaii volleyball team was finally there by the fifth set.
Nikki Taylor, Kalei Greeley and Tai Manu-Olevao each finished with 12 kills, and the Rainbow Wahine used a season-high 20 blocks to stop Big West rival Long Beach State 22-25, 25-12, 16-25, 25-21, 15-8 in front of 8,433 fans at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
The Rainbow Wahine’s 11th consecutive victory came against a 49ers team that twice beat UH last season en route to the league title.
Taylor made an uncharacteristic nine errors, but UH’s leading hitter got help.
Olivia Magill posted a match-high 12 blocks, tying her season-high, and came up with eight kills and no errors, and Manu-Olevao recorded her first double-double of the season, adding 12 digs, and Hawaii (16-1, 6-0 Big West) raced ahead in the fifth set on her serve.
Setter Kendra Koelsch, filling in for an injured Tayler Higgins, compiled nine blocks to go along with 41 assists and 13 digs.
Hawaii’s block helped it overcome .194 hitting. Long Beach State (14-5, 4-2) hit just .097. Nele Barber finished with 16 kills.
Soccer
Rebecca Wilson netted a hat trick as Cal State Fullerton sent the Wahine to 4-0 loss.
UH (3-10-1, 0-4-0 Big West) has lost four in a row and remained winless on the road.
The Titans (10-2-1, 2-1-0) took 17 shots.