Rainbow Wahine take back Big West lead with 4-set win over UCSB

STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER

Hawaii middle blocker Amber Igiede (3) and outside hitter Riley Wagoner (6) blocked the hit of UC Santa Barbara right side Tallulah Froley.

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Hawaii reclaimed sole possession of first place in the Big West women’s volleyball race with a four-set victory over UC Santa Barbara tonight at SimpliFi arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

UH outside hitter Riley Wagoner powered the Rainbow Wahine attack with 17 kills and delivered 13 digs on defense in a 25-21, 20-25, 25-18, 25-22 win before a “White Out” night crowd of 5,931.

Middle blocker Amber Igiede added 13 kills, four blocks and eight digs to help UH (12-6, 9-1 Big West) avenge two losses to the Gauchos last season and break a tie atop the Big West standings.

Hawaii, UCSB and Cal Poly entered Saturday’s play tied atop the conference at 8-1. Cal Poly dropped back with a four-set loss at UC Irvine in the afternoon, creating a duel for the outright lead before the Wahine and Gauchos took the court.

A week after suffering their first loss of the conference season at Cal Poly, UH again moved ahead of the pack when Kendra Ham, who popped up a match-high 18 digs, put away her lone kill of the night on match point.

UCSB outside hitter Michelle Ohwobete led the Gauchos (12-8, 8-2) with 18 kills, seven coming in the first set, and Tallulah Froley added 14. Punahou graduate Mehana Ma’a finished with 21 assists and 10 digs.

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After a UH lull late in the second set helped UCSB even the match, the Wahine pulled away late in the third and a five-point service run for Igiede early in the fourth set gave UH a lead it would hold for the remainder of the match,

UH has a shorter week than usual heading into another road trip. The Wahine play at UC Riverside on Thursday and at UC Davis two days later.

Igiede and Wagoner powered a 7-2 run that pushed the Wahine ahead in the middle of the first set. Wagoner put away three kills, Igiede added two and the duo combined for a block in the run that pushed UH ahead 14-10. UCSB closed within two on three occasions, the last at 20-18, but UH converted digs into Igiede kills in transition and another Igiede-Wagoner block put the Wahine back in control. Caylen Alexander scored on UH’s third attempt at set point to give the Wahine the lead in the match.

UH took a 15-11 lead in the second set before UCSB answered with a 6-1 run that included an ace by Megan Shimoda that was initially ruled out but reversed after a challenge. The play turned ragged late in the set as the teams combined for eight consecutive errors of varying types. UCSB steadied out to close the set on an 8-1 run to even the match at a set apiece.

UCSB led 15-14 in the third set before Wagoner put away consecutive kills to push UH ahead. The Wahine led 19-16 when Wagoner’s shot was ruled to have hit the antenna. Ah Mow issued her second challenge of the match and was again rewarded when the review revealed a UCSB player had instead touched the antenna. The reversal triggered a 6-2 UH run to close out the set.

Igiede’s first service turn of the fourth set gave UH an 8-3 lead and set the tone for the remainder of the match. The 6-foot-3 junior hit the floor twice for digs in a rally that ended with a kill for Tiffany Westerberg. UCSB closed to 20-18, but UH inched away again and Ham’s kill ended the match.