In addition to being erratic with its serve, the UH-Hilo volleyball team was outhit, outblocked and outdug – but it was far from outdone.
In addition to being erratic with its serve, the UH-Hilo volleyball team was outhit, outblocked and outdug – but it was far from outdone.
That had to make the Vulcans’ trip home feel like it went a little smoother.
“We gutted it out,” coach Tino Reyes said of Saturday’s 25-22, 25-22, 15-25, 25-23 victory against Point Loma in San Diego.
It might be to early to call it a season-saver, but playing for the third time in as many days, the Vulcans (3-4 Pacific West Conference, 5-5) halted a three-match streak and gained a dose of momentum heading into their longest homestand of the season.
Outside hitter Marley Strand-Nicolaisen’s 16th kill put away the Sea Lions (8-8, 3-5), who lost for only the second time at home. Outside hitter Morgan Lees added 14 kills, 13 digs and her team’s only two aces.
The Vulcans were beaten in the kills department 57-42, made eight service errors, withstood 26 kills from Heather Leavitt and .464 hitting by Point Loma in Game 3.
But as Reyes is apt to point out, sound passing and hustle can help a team overcome a lot of its ills.
“We played efficiently, passed well and played hard,” he said.
Evelin Solyomvari added six kills for the Vulcans, who hit .146.
UH-Hilo returns home for its next five matches, and the first three opponents are currently within a game of the Vulcans in the PacWest standings. First up is Notre Dame de Namur (7-9, 3-4) at 7 p.m. Thursday, and Fresno Pacific (4-8, 4-3) visits at 7 p.m. Saturday
Soccer
Also returning for a homestand, each Vulcans team came up empty on the final day of their trip.
Dixie State peppered Waiakea graduate Tiani Teanio with 17 shots, taking 33 in all, during Saturday’s 3-0 Vulcans loss. While Teanio made 14 saves – getting beaten by 15-yarder off a cross, a putback and a penalty kick – sophomore Abcde Zoller accounted for the only shot on frame for UH-Hilo (3-3-3, 2-3 PacWest). The Red Storm are 5-5, 3-3.
The UH-Hilo men limp home on a seven-match losing streak that was punctuated by a 2-0 loss to first-place Dixie (7-0-1, 5-0-1). The Vulcans didn’t score a goal in three matches on the mainland and share the PacWest cellar with Chaminade.
The Vulcans put two shots on goal, including one by Hilo graduate Eddie Torrison.
UH-Hilo host BYU-Hawaii on Thursday and Dominican on Saturday.
Women’s golf
Senior Kristen Sawada closed with a 7-over 80 on Saturday to finish in a tie for fourth at 10-over 156 at the season-opening St. Martin’s Invitational on the Olympia, Wash.
Sophomore Andi Igawa, a Waiakea graduate, also carded an 80 and tied for 19th at 165.
The Vulcans’s second-round 334 was the second-best of the day, moving them into fourth with an 675 total.
Freshman Shantel Antonio, a Kamehameha-graduate, improved with an 86 to finish in a tie for 25th place at 176; junior Alison Tengan, a Waiakea graduate, shot another 89, tying for 29th; sophomore Mariah Paiste (92) was in 41st place at 192; freshman Kimberly Katayama, competing as an individual, was at 209 in 43rd after a 100.
St. Martin’s (631) won the team title and Simon Fraser’s Emily Leung took medallist honors at 3-over.
The Vulcans compete at the Western Washington Invitational in Bellingham on Monday and Tuesday.
Cross-country
Competing at the Chaminade Invitational in Honolulu on Saturday, the UH-Hilo wahine came in fourth among four teams. Sophomore Anna Baker-Mikkelsen led the way again, finishing the 5-kilometer course in 20 minutes, 49 seconds to place 20th in a race that had 39 runners.
Freshman Crystal Baysa, a Kamehameha-Hawaii graduate, was 22nd in 21:18.8; junior June Garrett (21:57.1) came in 28th; junior and Hilo grad Kaylee Rapoza (23:49.3) was 34th and freshman Riley Arroyo (23:50.6) was another spot back.