It’s two steps forward and one step back for the UH-Hilo volleyball team.
It’s two steps forward and one step back for the UH-Hilo volleyball team.
Just when the Vulcans welcomed outside hitter Haylee Roberts to the lineup, they lost another hitter when Siera Green was injured during the latter stages of a practice earlier this week.
UH-Hilo (5-6 Pacific West Conference, 7-9) missed Green on Thursday night when it fell two points shy of victory against Notre Dame de Namur, losing 17-25, 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 15-13 at home despite a career-high 27 kills from Marley Strand-Nicolaisen.
The Vulcans continue their homestand at 7 p.m. Saturday against Dominican.
Reyes said Green suffered a sprained ankle and thought “she would be out a while.”
“The unfortunate thing is she got hurt during the last two plays of practice,” Reyes said. “She was really coming into her own.
“When we have three outside hitters, one can have a night off and we’re fine. But when we’re down to two its hurts.”
Strand-Nicolaisen hit .328 on 61 swings with 27 digs, but Roberts, a Division I transfer who was playing in her fourth match of the season, compiled eight kills on 48 swings, hitting .063.
“Roberts didn’t line it up quite right (Thursday night), but to be fair to her she only has four matches and four practices under her belt.
Green is second on the team, averaging 2.90 kills per set. Strand-Nicolaisen averages 4.02.
The Argonauts (6-14, 4-8) scored the first six points of the Game 5 on Thursday, but UH-Hilo eventually tied the set 8-8 before Bianca Alvarez (27 kills) and Dominique Tarrant (14) combined for five kills to close out the match.
Senior middle blocker Kyndra Trevino-Scott tried to make up for the lack of firepower with 10 kills.
“Hopefully we can get a rightside player to step up,” Reyes said. “Anyone. Our middles need to get more involved, but then we need to handle the ball better.”
The Vulcans need to find help in a hurry. The Penguins (9-2, 13-6) beat Chaminade in five sets Friday night for their sixth consecutive victory.