College volleyball: Azusa sweeps Vulcans

The UH-Hilo volleyball team did not play the percentages Thursday.

By coach Tino Reyes’ count, Asuza Pacific won more than 71 percent of its side-out points, while the Vulcans hit on only 56 percent of theirs.

“When you win more than 70 percent of your side-outs, your going to win 80 percent of the time,” Reyes said.

UH-Hilo didn’t even come close to finding that other 20 percent during a 25-19, 25-20, 25-21 loss at its gym, snapping a modest three-match winning streak.

“I’m surprised it was that close,” Reyes said.

The Cougars (10-9, 6-4 Pacific West) played better than their record, hitting .320.

The Vulcans (7-6, 5-5) were held to only one block.

Morgan Lees led the way with 13 kills and Marley Strand-Nicolaisen had 10.

“When I see we had only one block, I go “Wow,”’ Reyes said. “They were just slicing and dicing.”

The Cougars avenged two losses against the Vulcans last season and improved to 2-5 all-time in Hilo. They looked like a team that already has pocketed win agains the conference elite, Cal Baptist and BYU-Hawaii.

Any chance UH-Hilo had went the window thanks to 10 service errors.

“Anytime we lose the serve-and-pass battle, this is going to be the result,” Reyes said. “We had a hard time getting them out of system.”

Mattie Shelford and Natalie Klapp each recorded 10 kills for Azusa. Kristina Kam, a former University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine and Punahou graduate, finished with seven digs in a an ace as she started her Hawaii homecoming.

The Vulcans played without injured setter Sienna Davis.

Cal Baptist (16-3, 9-2) winners of five in a row, visits for a 7 p.m. Saturday match.

“I don’t think there is any team in our conference that we couldn’t beat or that could beat us,” Reyes said. “That’s the way it is. I don’t think there is a team that is heads and shoulders above everyone else.”