Wahine bounce back with sweep of UC Riverside

Kate Lang’s first career start for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team was in its Big West Conference opener in 2021 against UC Riverside.

Four years and 99 matches later, the fifth-year senior made her 100th consecutive start and led the Rainbow Wahine to a 25-16, 25-18, 25-16 sweep of that same UC Riverside program on Sunday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

A crowd of 3,930 watched Hawaii (10-6, 4-2) bounce back from Friday’s four-set loss to UC Davis with its third sweep in conference play.

Lang, who had a match-high 32 assists and six digs, said she was surprised to hear she had a streak going that long.

“I just told Coach Rob (Ah Mow) I didn’t even know that. I feel like I’ve been benched at some point in between this,” Lang said. “I guess that’s a confidence booster for myself but, that feels weird. It’s really weird.”

Hawaii, which has won 73 times during that streak, improved to 10-6 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

The team spent a rare Saturday without a game in the arena for four hours. Two hours were spent watching film and a nearly two-hour practice included 60 minutes of nothing but defensive drills and 30 minutes of blocking.

Hawaii had six blocks against the Highlanders (5-14, 0-6) and outdug UC Riverside 54-33.

“Obviously a little bit better than Friday,” Ah Mow said. “I think they could have played with a little more energy. The flow was a little bit better. In the beginning to the outsides it was kind of up and down but like I said on TV, a win is a win.”

Junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander rebounded from a season-low 15 kills in the loss to the Aggies with a match-high 19 in one less set.

Middle blockers Jacyn Bamis and Miliana Sylvester combined for 17 kills and three errors in 30 swings.

Bamis, who was in on five blocks, helped put the game away with three consecutive aces late in the third set.

“Now she gotta work on her defense,” Ah Mow said with a smile.

Hawaii hit .369 for the match with 50 kills to just 26 for the Highlanders.

UC Riverside junior setter Makena Tong, a University Lab alumna, had a team-high 11 assists, three digs and a kill.

Lang made it a point to set Alexander early as she took nine of Hawaii’s first 10 swings of the match.

She had seven kills on 18 swings in a first set that Hawaii ran away with. UH scored six of the final seven points with Lang going quick to Stella Adeyemi on the outside for the final kill.

Adeyemi was one of four Rainbow Wahine to record at least two kills in the first set with the middles combining for six kills in 11 swings with no errors.

Hawaii needed UC Riverside to serve out on its fourth set point to go up 2-0. The Rainbow Wahine had built up a lead of as many as nine in the set and brought in backup setter Jackie Matias and freshman Adrianna Arquette off the bench to close out the set.

UH hit .400 with Sylvester putting down all three balls she was set. Alexander added six more kills and had two of UH’s three aces.

The Highlanders made Hawaii use its first timeout of the match after scoring four straight points in the third set to pull to 17-14.

UH had brought in Matias and Arquette again off the bench leading 11-5, but brought back in Lang and Tali Hakas coming out of the timeout.

Hawaii will play seven of its final 12 matches of the regular season on the road, beginning with Cal Poly on Friday. The Mustangs are tied with Long Beach State and UC Davis for the league lead with Hawaii a game back.