The gym is quieter than normal, but it hasn’t affected the Hawaii women’s volleyball team.
Playing without six seniors from last year’s team that won a fourth straight Big West Conference championship, Hawaii completed three straight wins during its spring exhibition season with a 25-20, 25-23, 25-15 sweep of Notre Dame on Thursday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
A crowd of 1,024 watched the Rainbow Wahine, with 11 players on their roster coming off a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Oregon, handle the Fighting Irish to close the spring season.
UH needed five sets to beat UNLV on Tuesday, and then swept Colorado State on Wednesday before the teams played a fourth set won by the Rams.
Hawaii also played a fourth set against Notre Dame on Thursday, winning 27-25.
“I think they like it because they keep playing,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said about the number of new players on the roster. “I think it helps the kids. It’s not that much people (inside the arena). I think it’s good for them.”
Caylen Alexander had a match-high 11 kills and five digs and junior Paula Guersching added eight kills and seven digs.
Junior Jacyn Bamis, the only middle on UH’s roster in the spring, had seven kills and three blocks.
“(The gym) definitely feels empty, but it’s definitely been a grind this spring just really focusing on staying patient with ourselves and each other,” Alexander said. “Obviously we’ve had to work with a whole new team because everyone had to leave, so I think the patience has really worked out because as you saw today we came together and we won.”
Sophomore Tali Hakas chipped in six kills on 19 swings and freshman Stella Adeyemi added four kills and two digs with an ace.
“I like Stella, I like Jacyn, I’ve got to get on one of the setters because I’ve liked the way she’s played,” Ah Mow said. “I feel like our passing was not bad. I feel like all of the girls have gotten better at something. I was going to say blocking, but we didn’t block well today.”
UH had just three blocks against the Fighting Irish, who finished 12th in the ACC last season.
Redshirt junior Tyla Reese Mane ended the third set with her first kill of the spring to give UH a win by double digits.
Neither team led by more than three points in the first set until a Hakas kill gave UH set point at 24-20 with one of her six kills.
Alexander ended the set on a pass from Matias to put UH ahead.
An Alexander ace and a kill by Hakas gave UH its largest lead in the second set at 17-12.
The Fighting Irish scored the next eight points to take an 18-17 lead on an error by Hakas.
Hawaii closed out the set with a Notre Dame service error, allowing UH to take the lead by two sets.
Sydney Palazzolo led Notre Dame with 11 kills. Jackie Matias had 19 assists to lead UH and Tayli Ikenaga had 14 digs, and three of Hawaii’s seven aces.
“I think they like it because they keep playing and I rotate the hitters,” Ah Mow said. “I think it’s good for them.”