For three-plus sets UH-Hilo volleyball coach Tino Reyes liked the improvement that he witnessed Monday, but it was the end of the fourth one Monday that doomed the Vulcans to a 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22 to Dixie State in St. George, Utah.
For three-plus sets UH-Hilo volleyball coach Tino Reyes liked the improvement that he witnessed Monday, but it was the end of the fourth one Monday that doomed the Vulcans to a 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22 to Dixie State in St. George, Utah.
UH-Hilo (4-4, 2-1 PacWest) looked poised to force a fifth set after kills by Marley Strand-Nicolaisen and Siera Green and Sienna Davis’ ace gave it a 20-17 late in Game 4, but then the Vulcans started making errors (three hitting and one service) and an ace helped the league co-leading Trailblazers (7-4, 4-0) take the last three points of the match.
“We got better,” Reyes said, “but we never got out of that rut.
“If we can just control unforced errors, we might be a good team.”
Strand-Nicolaisen posted a match-high 20 kills with 12 digs, and Siera Green and Katrina Johnson added 10 kills apiece. Johnson, a freshman, hit .333.
“She played really well,” Reyes said. We’ll take that every time.”
Strand-Nicolaisen was easily the busiest hitter in the match, taking 71 swings.
Delayne Daniel led Dixie State, which recently changed its nickname from the Red Storm, with 16 kills. The Trailblazers have won five in a row.
Still, Reyes found the first stop on a four-match road swing to be an encouraging step.
“We just need to be more consistent,” he said. “I like my team. They play hard.”
It doesn’t get any easier though – UH-Hilo plays Cal Baptist, the other league co-leader, on Wednesday.