By MATT GERHART
By MATT GERHART
Tribune-Herald sports writer
There was no tsunami warning to stop Chaminade this time.
Big Island native Whitney Viveiros ripped 11 kills and Kim Price added 10 on Monday night as the Silverswords swept the University of Hawaii at Hilo 25-13, 25-17, 25-16 in a battle of struggling volleyball teams in Honolulu.
As the Vulcans (4-16, 4-10 Pacific West Conference) limp toward the finish line on a seven-game losing streak, coach Tino Reyes wondered about his volleyball team’s mindset.
“Truth be told, I’m not so sure we haven’t already checked out,” he said. “Fundamentally, we didn’t do anything right.”
In an Oct. 27 match at Waiakea High School, the Silverswords (7-15, 4-10) were up a set and leading Game 2 when a tsunami warning suspended play. Plans to continue that match were scrapped, but Chaminade picked up where it left off to end a six-game losing streak Monday.
Freshman Bria Morgan smacked 11 kills and senior Patty Vine-Snel added seven, but UHH hit just .115. The Vuls compiled only 10 more kills (23) than hitting errors. Freshman setter Jolie Au registered a season-low 11 assists.
Chaminade hit .324. Viveiros, a senior outside hitter who was born in Hilo and graduated from Kamehameha-Kapalama on Oahu, led all players with 13.5 points (blocks, aces, blocks). Price hit .450, Crystal Powell added nine kills and Brenda Walker posted 22 digs in the Silverswords’ first sweep this season. Powell served three of her team’s 10 aces.
“Chaminade played well,” Reyes said. “Even if we would have played better, I’m not sure it would have made a difference.”
His team was never really in the match.
Chaminade raced out to 14-6 leads in the first two sets. A kill by Vine-Snel helped cap a 4-0 spurt to get UHH to within 15-13 in the second set. But after a timeout, Spring caught fire as the Silverswords pulled away. The Vuls dropped the first eight points of Game 3.
Freshman Autumn Chong, a Kamehameha-Kapalama graduate who was born in Waimea, saw increased playing time as UHH tried to run its offense from the back row and finished with a team-high eight digs and six assists. With UHH’s ball-control inconsistent, Morgan wasn’t that busy by her standards. The league leader in points and kills hit .085 on 47 swings.
The Vuls finish the season with league champion BYU-Hawaii (19-2, 15-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday night at home, and they will honor three seniors: Vine-Snel, Melissa Chavez and Megan Medeiros.