LAS VEGAS — Third-ranked Hawai‘i eased into tomorrow’s Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship with a 25-15, 25-15, 25-17 volleyball victory over Fresno State tonight, before 1,827 at Orleans Arena.

The top-seeded Rainbow Wahine (27-2) won their 23rd straight and extended their WAC Tournament streak to 29. They play second-seeded New Mexico State tomorrow (4:30 p.m. HST) for the title, for the fourth year in a row.
Hawai‘i has won the last 11 WAC championships.
The first two sets against fifth-seeded FSU (15-16) lasted just 19 minutes apiece, with Aneli Cubi-Otineru getting seven of her 11 kills. Kanani Danielson, named WAC Player of the Year Sunday, finished with a match-high 12 kills, seven in the final set, for the Rainbow Wahine.
It took three serves for Hawai‘i to seize control.
After Dani Mafua shanked the opening serve and Stephanie Ferrell was stuffed on the second, Ferrell crushed a kill to end a long rally — after she and Mafua both salvaged balls.
From there, it was all Rainbows. Amber Kaufman served four in a row, with Cubi-Otineru launching two balls untouched into the floor.
FSU called its first timeout after a Kaufman ace at 5-2 and its last after Danielson’s third straight serve made it 15-7.
The Bulldogs would not get within six again until the second set, which was tied four times, the last at 8-8.
Hawai‘i outscored Fresno 17-7 the rest of the way, getting points in bunches with Mafua, Cubi-Otineru and Stephanie Brandt serving.
The ‘Bows had four aces in the set and Cubi-Otineru was 4-for-5, blasting one ball into Kelli Parker’s shoulder after hitting her on the ankle in the opening set.
Danielson took over in the third, blasting four consecutive kills to put UH ahead 7-4. The Bulldogs would not catch up.
Sixth-seed Boise State, which upset third-seeded Idaho Monday, could not convert against second-seeded New Mexico State in the other semifinal.
The Broncos (8-22) had five set points in the second set, but NMSU (19-8) scored the final seven and ultimately won, 25-16, 26-24, 25-10.
Kayleigh Giddens led all attackers with 13 kills for NMSU, which out-hit Boise, .391 to .067.
NOTES
Tonight’s WAC Championship will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 4:30 p.m. Hawai‘i time. It will also be aired live in Hawai‘I on ESPN/1420 AM.
Poor pronunciation by the announcer during last night’s introductions inspired so much laughter he finally said, “OK folks, you try this.”