Back home meant back to business for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team.
The Rainbow Wahine volleyball team has yet to drop a set in Big West play inside of Simplifi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center after notching a 25-18, 25-10, 25-14 sweep of Cal State Fullerton on Friday night.
Eleven Rainbow Wahine had at least one kill, with Caylen Alexander and Kennedi Evans each putting down seven kills to lead the way before a crowd of 4,458.
Evans and Amber Igiede combined for 13 kills from the middle and both hit over .400 for Hawaii (11-5, 4-1 Big West), which was able to spread the ball around in its third consecutive home sweep.
“We’ve been passing really well, which has been fun because it gets the middles involved,” said Evans, who has hit .500 or better in three of her past four matches. “I’ve changed my mindset a little bit of just going out and controlling what I can control and, like I said, our team has done a good job of passing these last few games, so it’s been real easy to get involved.”
UH used its 48th consecutive match against the Titans (1-13, 0-5) without a loss to play 14 Rainbow Wahine in a multitude of combinations.
Setter Kate Lang led the way with a match-high 23 assists, four digs and three blocks and junior Tayli Ikenaga, who took over as libero in the second set, had six digs.
“I think it tests us coming out and doing what we need to do and stay at the level we need to stay at,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “That’s the respect thing. You respect a team by playing your best game.”
After changing starting lineups just once over the first 14 matches, UH trotted out a different starting seven for the second time in as many matches.
Junior Paula Guersching earned her second start at outside hitter but was paired with sophomore Caylen Alexander, who was back in the lineup after missing the Sept. 30 match at UC San Diego.
Alexander led the way with five kills in the opening set as Ah Mow had 11 Wahine enter the match in the opening set.
Guersching had seven of the team’s 16 digs and Hawaii finished it off on its second set point on one of nine hitting errors by the Titans.
“The big focus for me this week was practicing hard, so yeah getting the opportunity to practice hard in the gym for my squad again was cool,” Alexander said.
The changes continued in the second set with Riley Wagoner back in at outside hitter and Ikenaga earning her first playing time of the season in the libero jersey.
Wagoner recorded Hawaii’s first ace of the match for a 7-3 lead and UH opened it up with a 6-0 run, with five points coming on Igiede’s serve to go up 13-5.
Ikenaga’s one-armed dig set up Evans’ fifth kill in seven swings to make it 15-6 and the rout was on as UH won 18 of the final 23 points.
Ah Mow wasn’t done fiddling with the lineups. Stella Adeyemi started the third set at outside hitter with fellow freshman Tali Hakas, with Alexander moving to opposite.
UH forced Cal State Fullerton to use its first timeout at 10-4 in the third set after Lang put down a backward tip over her left shoulder into the front left corner on the Titans side for a kill.
Backup setter Jackie Matias was the final Rainbow Wahine to notch a kill on a dump to make it 14-8 in the third set and Hakas ended the match with her fifth kill in 15 swings.
“We’ve been doing it in practice since the beginning and trying to change people up,” Ah Mow said. “We’re going to continue to do it.”
Titans sophomore libero Nadia Koanui, a Kamehameha alumna, finished with a match-high 13 digs and three assists for the Titans.
Up next for the Rainbow Wahine is a match tonight against UC Irvine (4-12, 2-3), which swept CS Fullerton on Tuesday.