Honolulu, HI
It was a night of celebration at Bankoh Arena as the Rainbow Wahine closed out their first Mountain West Conference weekend with another dominant performance. Playing in front of 5,862 fans on Hispanic Heritage Night, Hawai'i swept New Mexico 25-20, 25-18, 25-18 on Saturday night to complete the two-match sweep and open conference play 2-0.
The night was about more than just volleyball, as Hawai'i Athletics celebrated Hispanic Heritage Night as part of the Da Kine Series. The celebration recognized the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hawai'i’s Hispanic community, with portions of the match announced in Spanish. On the court, the Rainbow Wahine gave the crowd another reason to celebrate as they continued their strong start to the new Mountain West era.
After sweeping New Mexico on Friday night in their conference opener, Hawai'i returned Saturday looking to finish the weekend without dropping a set. The Rainbow Wahine did exactly that, taking control early and never allowing the Lobos to find enough momentum to extend the match. The win pushed Hawai'i to 10-3 overall, and 2-0 in Mountain West play.
Panna Ratkai once again led the way for Hawai'i, finishing with a match-high 15 kills while hitting .302. She also added six digs and two service aces as the senior continued her strong stretch of play for the Rainbow Wahine. Ratkai has been one of Hawai'i’s most consistent offensive weapons throughout the season and continued that trend during the opening weekend of conference play.
Cha'lei Reid also came through with another strong performance in her second match back after returning from injury. Reid finished with 10 kills while hitting .333, giving Hawai'i another important offensive option as she continues getting back into the rhythm of the season.
Rachel Purser added eight kills while hitting .389 and recorded four blocks, while Adrianna Arquette guided the Rainbow Wahine offense with 32 assists. Victoria Leyva anchored the back row with a match-high 18 digs and added two service aces as Hawai'i held New Mexico to just a .109 hitting percentage.
The Rainbow Wahine also controlled the match at the service line and net, finishing with seven aces and eight blocks while holding the Lobos to 29 kills. Hawai'i finished the weekend having won all six sets against New Mexico, giving the team a strong start to its first season competing in the Mountain West.
With the opening conference weekend now complete, Hawai'i moves to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in Mountain West play. The Rainbow Wahine will now hit the road for their next conference series, traveling to Phoenix to face Grand Canyon on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3.
For a night that celebrated culture and community inside the Stan Sheriff Center, the Rainbow Wahine made sure the volleyball provided its own celebration as well, finishing the weekend with another sweep and giving the home crowd plenty to cheer about.
Final Score: Hawai'i 3 - New Mexico 0
25-20 I 25-18 I 25-18
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Pictures Taken by: Alan Velasco - @oscalev_
