Honolulu, HI
The Lady Bows just keep rolling. Hawai'i returned to the Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday night looking to finish off another strong weekend, and the Rainbow Wahine did exactly that, taking care of San José State in straight sets. After a competitive opening set, Hawai'i found another gear and took control of the match, closing out the Spartans in convincing fashion to earn their sixth straight sweep and remain undefeated in Mountain West play.
Hawai'i came into the matchup riding a five-match sweep streak and looking to keep its momentum going as conference play continued. The Rainbow Wahine did just that, improving to 14-3 overall and 6-0 in Mountain West play while extending their winning streak to six matches. The victory also marked the team's 18th consecutive set won, showing just how consistently the squad has been performing during this stretch. San Jose State dropped to 6-11 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
The opening set proved to be the most competitive of the night, as San Jose State looked to challenge Hawai'i early. The Spartans managed to keep the score close, taking advantage of some uncharacteristic attack errors from the Rainbow Wahine. Hawai'i finished the first set with nine attack errors, allowing San Jose State to stay within striking distance. However, the Lady Bows began to create separation as the set progressed. Victoria Leyva delivered a service ace during a three-point run that helped Hawai'i build a 20-14 advantage. San Jose State responded with a short push to cut the lead to 20-16, but kills from Cha'lei Reid and Maëli Cormier helped Hawai'i regain control. Miliana Sylvester eventually put the finishing touches on the set, giving the Rainbow Wahine a 25-20 win and a one-set lead.
Hawai'i carried that momentum into the second set and began to find its rhythm on both sides of the ball. Kahea Moriwaki helped spark the offense with a six-point service run, putting pressure on the Spartans and allowing the Rainbow Wahine to build an early advantage. Sylvester added back-to-back kills, while she and Reid teamed up for a block to keep Hawai'i rolling. San Jose State made another attempt to stay in the set, cutting the deficit to 12-9, but the Lady Bows quickly shut down the Spartans momentum. Hawai'i answered with a 7-1 run highlighted by consecutive kills from Cormier and another service ace from Adrianna Arquette. The Rainbow Wahine continued to dictate the pace, and Cameron Holcomb helped close out the set when her serve went untouched for the point, giving Hawai'i a convincing 25-13 victory.
The third set was where Hawai'i truly took control and put the match away. Strong serving from Leyva and Moriwaki helped ignite a dominant 10-1 run that put the Spartans on their heels. With the pressure building, the Rainbow Wahine continued to capitalize on their opportunities at the net. Reid delivered six kills on 10 attempts in the set, while Sylvester added four kills on six swings without committing an attack error. Hawai'i offense became increasingly efficient as the set progressed, hitting .414 while limiting its mistakes to just two attack errors. The Spartans struggled to find an answer as the Lady Bows continued to build their lead, with Sylvester eventually delivering the match point to seal the 25-13 set win and complete the sweep.
Reid led all players with 11 kills while adding three blocks and a service ace, continuing to be a key piece of Hawai'i attack. Sylvester finished with nine kills and a .438 hitting percentage while leading the team with five total blocks. Cormier contributed eight kills while committing just one attack error on 12 attempts, giving the Rainbow Wahine another efficient option offensively. Arquette guided the offense with 30 assists while adding eight digs and two service aces. Panna Ratkai chipped in seven kills and a team high 12 digs, while Leyva recorded nine digs and Holcomb added eight digs to help anchor Hawai'i defensive effort.
As a team, Hawai'i finished with 40 kills, seven service aces, and eight blocks while hitting .245 for the match. The Rainbow Wahine also recorded 47 digs and continued to apply pressure from the service line, helping limit San Jose State to just 18 kills and a negative .033 hitting percentage. After facing some early resistance, Hawai'i settled in and showed the difference in offensive efficiency as the match moved along. The ability to respond after the opening set and control the final two sets was another example of the consistency the Rainbow Wahine have displayed throughout their current run.
With the win, Hawai'i continues to build momentum through the Mountain West schedule, now sitting at 6-0 in conference play and extending its straight-set sweep streak to six matches. The Rainbow Wahine will look to carry that momentum on the road as they head to Wyoming for a pair of matchups on October 15 and 17. For now, the Lady ’Bows continue to take care of business, putting together another strong performance in front of the home crowd at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Final Score: Hawai'i 3 - San Jose State 0
25-20 I 25-13 I 25-13
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pictures taken by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
