Honolulu, HI
With 7,858 fans filling Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday evening, the largest home crowd of the season, the University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine gave their supporters plenty to celebrate. Behind a balanced offensive attack and a dominant second-set performance, Hawai'i completed its weekend sweep of UNLV with a straight-set victory, 25-21, 25-11, 25-23. The Rainbow Wahine finished with 52 kills and a .292 hitting percentage, a significant improvement from their opening-night performance against the Rebels. The victory extended Hawai'i unbeaten start to Mountain West Conference play, improving the Rainbow Wahine to 18-3 overall and a perfect 10-0 in conference competition, while UNLV fell to 8-13 overall and 4-6 in the Mountain West. After being challenged throughout Friday's matchup, Hawai'i returned for Night 2 with a more efficient offensive performance, securing another sweep and continuing to build momentum as the conference season progressed.
Saturday's matchup marked the second meeting between Hawai'i and UNLV in as many nights, with the Rainbow Wahine looking to build on their straight-set victory from Friday evening. In the opening match of the weekend, Hawai'i defeated the Rebels 25-23, 25-23, 25-18, despite hitting just .146 and recording fewer kills than UNLV. Cha'lei Reid led the Rainbow Wahine with 16 kills, while Miliana Sylvester contributed 10 and Victoria Leyva anchored the defense with 19 digs. Although Hawai'i secured the sweep, the Rebels remained competitive throughout the first two sets, challenging the Rainbow Wahine's offensive consistency and forcing them to execute during the closing points. Saturday presented another opportunity for Hawai'i to improve on that performance while protecting its unbeaten conference record. With another strong home crowd behind them, the Rainbow Wahine returned to the court looking to finish the weekend with two victories and maintain their position in the Mountain West standings.
The opening set saw UNLV once again challenge Hawai'i as both teams worked to establish momentum early in the match. The Rebels recorded 12 kills on 42 attempts while committing six attacking errors, finishing with a .143 hitting percentage. Hawai'i responded with 15 kills on 40 attempts, although eight attacking errors prevented the Rainbow Wahine from establishing a more significant offensive advantage. Despite those mistakes, Hawai'i finished the frame with a .175 hitting percentage and maintained enough offensive production to remain in control of the set. UNLV continued competing and kept the margin close, but the Rainbow Wahine found a way to secure a 25-21 victory and take the early advantage. Unlike Friday's opening set, which came down to a two-point margin, Hawai'i created slightly more separation to begin the second night of competition.
The second set proved to be the defining stretch of Saturday's matchup as Hawai'i delivered its most dominant offensive performance of the weekend. The Rainbow Wahine recorded 21 kills on just 32 attempts while committing only five attacking errors, finishing with an impressive .500 hitting percentage. UNLV struggled to establish any consistent offensive rhythm, managing just three kills on 21 attempts while committing two errors for a .048 hitting percentage. Hawai'i's ability to produce kills efficiently allowed the Rainbow Wahine to control the frame and prevent the Rebels from generating sustained scoring opportunities. The difference in offensive production was significant, with Hawai'i recording 18 more kills than UNLV during the set. The Rainbow Wahine eventually pulled away for a commanding 25-11 victory, moving within one set of completing their second consecutive sweep of the Rebels.
Facing a two-set deficit, UNLV responded with a much stronger performance in the third frame as the Rebels attempted to extend the match. UNLV recorded 15 kills on 47 attempts, its highest single-set total of the evening, while committing eight attacking errors for a .149 hitting percentage. Hawai'i continued producing offensively, finishing with 16 kills on 48 attempts and just four errors for a .250 hitting percentage. The Rainbow Wahine's improved efficiency helped them withstand UNLV's effort to regain momentum, although the Rebels remained competitive throughout the closing frame. With the third set coming down to the final points, Hawai'i maintained its composure and secured a narrow 25-23 victory. The result completed the straight-set sweep and extended the Rainbow Wahine's unbeaten Mountain West record to 10 consecutive conference victories.
Leading the way for Hawai'i was Cha'lei Reid, who finished with a match-high 15 kills on 28 attempts while committing five attacking errors, producing an impressive .357 hitting percentage. Reid continued her strong weekend after recording 16 kills during Friday's victory, giving her 31 kills across the two matches against UNLV. Panna Ratkai delivered a much stronger offensive performance in Saturday's matchup, finishing with 13 kills on 36 attempts while adding nine digs, a service ace, and a block assist. Ratkai's production represented a significant improvement from Friday, when she recorded four kills, giving the Rainbow Wahine another reliable offensive option. Miliana Sylvester contributed 10 kills on 23 attempts with just three errors, finishing with a .304 hitting percentage while adding two block assists. The combined production from Reid, Ratkai, and Sylvester gave Hawai'i 38 kills from its three leading attackers, providing the offensive balance that helped separate the Rainbow Wahine from the Rebels.
Hawai'i also received several important contributions from players who helped maintain the team's offensive efficiency and defensive consistency throughout the evening. Rachel Purser finished with five kills on just nine attempts without committing an attacking error, producing a .556 hitting percentage while adding four block assists and a service ace. Mano Antiga contributed three kills on four attempts without an error, while Maëli Cormier added three kills and two block assists. Setter Adrianna Arquette directed the Rainbow Wahine offense with a match-high 35 assists, while also contributing 13 digs, two service aces, two kills, and two block assists. Victoria Leyva added 12 digs and eight assists, helping provide stability in Hawai'i back row defense and passing game. Cameron Holcomb contributed eight digs, while Tali Hakas added six, allowing the Rainbow Wahine to maintain a strong defensive presence as UNLV attempted to extend rallies.
As a team, Hawai'i delivered one of its most efficient performances of the weekend, finishing with 52 kills on 120 attempts while committing just 17 attacking errors for a .292 hitting percentage. The Rainbow Wahine recorded 14 more kills than they produced during Friday's victory while improving their overall hitting percentage from .146 to .292. Hawai'i also finished with 45 assists, four service aces, seven total team blocks, and 52 digs, demonstrating improvement in several key areas of its offensive production. The most significant difference came during the second set, when the Rainbow Wahine hit .500 and recorded 21 kills, creating a decisive advantage that UNLV was unable to overcome. Although the Rebels finished with two more team blocks, Hawai'i controlled the match through its ability to generate more attacking opportunities and convert them efficiently. The Rainbow Wahine finished with a 52-30 advantage in kills and a 52-35 advantage in digs, reflecting their stronger overall performance compared to the opening night.
For UNLV, Basia Latos led the offensive effort with eight kills on 31 attempts while adding seven digs and a service ace. Jaida Harris contributed seven kills on 24 attempts, finishing with a .167 hitting percentage while also recording five block assists. Logan Lindsay added four kills, while Rheanna Deen-Jackson and Cami Christiansen each finished with three. Deen-Jackson also contributed five block assists, helping the Rebels finish with nine total team blocks compared to Hawai'i's seven. Setter Kamryn Scroggins recorded 23 assists, while Caleigh King led UNLV defensively with 12 digs and a service ace. Despite those individual contributions, the Rebels struggled to match Hawai'i's offensive production, finishing with just 30 kills on 110 attempts and a .127 hitting percentage. UNLV's difficulties were particularly evident in the second set, when the Rebels managed only three kills and were unable to slow the Rainbow Wahine's offensive momentum.
The difference between Friday and Saturday's performances highlighted Hawai'i ability to make improvements over the course of a two-match series. During the opening night, the Rainbow Wahine relied on timely execution and defensive consistency to overcome a UNLV team that remained competitive through the first two sets. On Saturday, Hawai'i established a much stronger offensive presence, recording 52 kills compared to Friday's 38 while committing three fewer attacking errors. Reid remained the team's leading attacker, but increased production from Ratkai and continued contributions from Sylvester gave the Rainbow Wahine additional offensive options. Arquette also increased her assist total from 29 to 35, helping Hawai'i maintain a more efficient attack throughout the evening. The result was another straight-set victory, this time with a much more decisive statistical advantage and a dominant second-set performance.
With the weekend sweep complete, Hawai'i improved to 18-3 overall and remained undefeated through its first 10 Mountain West Conference matches. The Rainbow Wahine entered the weekend looking to protect their unbeaten conference record and finished with two straight-set victories over a UNLV squad that challenged them at different points across both matches. Saturday's performance provided another encouraging sign for Hawai'i as the team continued building consistency and offensive balance during conference competition. The season-high attendance of 7,858 also highlighted the support behind the Rainbow Wahine, with the largest home crowd of the year on hand to witness the team's 10th consecutive Mountain West victory. For UNLV, the two losses brought a difficult conclusion to its weekend in Honolulu, dropping the Rebels to 8-13 overall and 4-6 in Mountain West play. With another strong performance in front of their home crowd, the Rainbow Wahine continued adding to their momentum as they pursued a conference championship.
Final Score: Hawai'i 3 - UNLV 0
25-21 | 25-11 | 25-23
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Pictures taken by: Kennedy Velasco - @kennnchapo
