HPU sweeps past Chaminade
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Andrea Wean and Roberta Robert combined for 35 kills as the Hawai'i Pacific women's volleyball team swept Chaminade 30-25, 30-28, 30-27 last night at St. Andrew's Priory.
In an abridged version of Friday night's five-game slugfest, the top-ranked Lady Sea Warriors (14-0 overall, 8-0 Pacific West Conference) had to fight off a relentless Chaminade squad led by Valasi Sepulona (20 kills, 11 digs).
HPU head coach Tita Ahuna said the team, which returned from a road trip last Wednesday night, benefitted from fresher legs last night.
"They just rested all day and came out firing," Ahuna said.
Setter Nia Tuitele led HPU with 44 assists and 15 digs.
On Friday night, Hawai'i Pacific withstood a ferocious assault by Chaminade at the Blaisdell Arena to come away with a 30-24, 24-30, 30-23, 25-30, 15-10 victory.
With the win, the Lady Sea Warriors tied Nebraska Kearney for second place in consecutive NCAA II victories with 41. They are now five games shy of tying the record held set by Ferris State in 1984.
Robert led HPU with 24 kills on .227 hitting and 24 digs. Wean contributed 20 kills on .250 hitting with nine digs and three blocks. Tuitele, who gave HPU fans a scare when she injured her shoulder in a collision with Robert in the second game, notched a match-high 54 assists to go with eight digs.
Chaminade was led by Sepulona, who had 20 kills (.145 hitting) and 13 digs. Julia Hastert had 15 kills and 22 digs, and Janeen Waialae added 52 assists and nine digs.
After splitting the first two games, HPU trailed 16-11 in the third game. The Sea Warriors fought back to tie 21-21, then sealed the game with a 9-2 run highlighted by a twisting, off-balance hit by Teisa Fotu that somehow fell between three Silversword players.
Throughout the match, the Silverswords, who last week pulled off a pair of upsets over then No. 22 Brigham Young-Hawai'i, gave HPU all it could handle. They attacked HPU's block on offense, and on defense spit back everything HPU tried to feed them.
The Silverswords seemed to be in control of the fourth game, leading 27-21, but they gave up five points and a ton of momentum before closing out the set.
The momentum carried over to the final game, when Wean knocked down four kills as HPU took control with an 8-2 opening run.
• BYUH wins in four: Karla Ribeiro had 18 kills and hit .429, and Ashley Moeai added 15 kills as Brigham Young-Hawai'i defeated Hawai'i-Hilo, 30-22, 25-30, 30-16, 30-27, in a Pacific West Conference match Friday night at Hilo.
Ribeiro had only three errors in 35 attempts.
BYUH improved to 6-4 overall and 2-3 in the PacWest. UHH dropped to 6-9 and 1-6.
Chaminade 25 28 27
Hawai'i Pacific 30 30 30
Kill Leaders: Cham—Valasi Sepulona 20. HPU—Andrea Wean 18, Roberta Robert 17. Defensive Dig Leaders: Cham—Janeen Waialae 14. HPU—Nia Tuitele 15. Block Leaders: Cham—Audrey Brady 6. HPU—Robert 3, Wean 3. Assist Leaders: Cham—Waialae 34. HPU—Nia Tuitele 44.
