On Senior Night, Morgan Lees was a bit of a stick in the mud. ADVERTISING On Senior Night, Morgan Lees was a bit of a stick in the mud. The sophomore was simply too hot to be taken out of
On Senior Night, Morgan Lees was a bit of a stick in the mud.
The sophomore was simply too hot to be taken out of the lineup Saturday night, drilling 16 kills in her best match of the season. The University of Hawaii at Hilo beat winless Notre Dame de Namur 23-25, 25-14, 25-11, 25-12 to close its home schedule.
“(Morgan) was lights out. Where did she come from?” coach Tino Reyes said. “I couldn’t put Abbey (Wade) back in the match.”
Wade was one of five seniors playing in their final home match. Callie Aberle, who has assumed the role of No. 1 hitter as Marley Strand-Nicolaisen nurses an injury, enjoyed the best finale, finishing with 16 kills and 23 digs.
Lees made just one attack error and hit .455 for the Vulcans (8-11, 7-9 Pacific West Conference), who won their third consecutive match. All but one of Lees’ kills came after the Vulcans dropped the first set against the downtrodden Argonauts (0-22, 0-14).
“I don’t know if we ever play well,” Reyes said. “The other teams just let us win.
“We can’t sustain anything.”
Reyes was all to aware that the Vulcans have taken advantage of a light schedule of late. Their last three opponents have combined for only five league victories.
But he did find one bright spot Saturday night.
“The good part is we played all the seniors,” Reyes said.
All five in the group, including Stacey Witt (six kills, 13 digs, five assists), Hilo High graduate Kahealani Vento-Rowe and Tasha Meyer, are junior college transfers.
“These kids are going to be successful in whatever they choose,” Reyes said. “They are wonderful kids. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”
The Vulcans won the hitting (.286-.127) and blocking battles (11-4) convincingly, getting help from a couple of key cogs who are set return next season: sophomore Kyndra Trevino-Scott added eight kills and six blocks and junior Shelby Harguess contributed seven kills and four blocks.
The Vulcans will miss the postseason for the third consecutive year, but Reyes is still eyeing a top-half finish in the 13-team PacWest.
Though he knows it will be a challenge.
UHH is in eighth place with four road matches left. Three of the Vulcans’ remaining opponents are among the league’s upper-echelon, including Tuesday’s test at Dixie State (12-2). The Vuls visit Azusa Pacific (7-7) on Thursday, Point Loma (12-4) on Saturday, and then they return home before finishing the season at Hawaii Pacific (11-4).
“We probably need to win two of three on the road trip, then find a way to win at Hawaii Pacific,” Reyes said. “It’s a good goal for us to have.”
