A balanced attack and service pressure powered the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team to a sweep of Long Beach State tonight at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Outside hitter Caylen Alexander led UH with 11 kills, Riley Wagoner finished with nine and Braelyn Akana put away her eighth on match point and the Big West-leading Rainbow Wahine snapped Long Beach State’s nine-match winning streak while extending their run against the Beach to 11 consecutive victories with the 26-24, 25-18, 25-18 win.
UH setter Kate Lang posted her seventh double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs and contributed four kills. She also has two of UH’s seven aces and the Wahine committed just two service errors to LBSU’s 11.
The Rainbow Wahine (15-6, 12-1 Big West) maintained a one-game lead over UC Santa Barbara in the Big West race and conclude their penultimate homestand of the season on Saturday against Cal State Fullerton (12-9, 6-7).
Long Beach State hadn’t lost since UH’s four-set win at the Walter Pyramid on Oct. 1. Outside hitter Morgan Chacon led the Beach with 13 kills.
LBSU’s 15-12 lead at the media timeout was the widest margin of a first set that included 18 ties and eight lead changes. Long Beach State’s risk-reward approach from the service line contributed to four aces countered by six service errors. Natalie Glenn fired an ace to give the Beach a 23-22 lead, then sailed her next serve well long to tie it up again.
Chacon’s sixth kill gave Beach set point and Tiffany Westerberg scored off the block to force deuce. Alexander then fired an ace into the middle of the Beach formation. Lang’s fourth dig of the set and a bump set from Tayli Ikenaga led to a Wagoner cross-court kill to give UH the set.
>> PHOTOS: Hawaii vs. LBSU
Igiede, held to one kill with one error in the first set, had three kills and was in on two blocks as UH opened up a 10-4 lead in the second set. She later had an ace off the tape, then popped up a blast for her fourth dig that Wagoner sent on a high bump set to the front left, where Alexander scored off the block to give UH a 21-13 lead. Beach cut into the lead with a 5-1 run, but Alexander ended the threat and Akana’s seventh kill in eight attacks sent UH into the break with a 2-0 lead in the match.
UH led 9-8 in the third set when Wagoner put away back-to-back kills, then teamed with Igiede on a block of Chacon. Ikenaga capped a 5-0 run with UH’s sixth ace and the Wahine led 14-8.
Beach closed to 18-17, but UH pulled away again and earned match point at 24-18 when Wagoner won a joust at the net. Akana then ended a rally with her eighth kill to close the match.
