Wāhine Volleyball Get Revenge, CSUN Swept in Three Sets

Wāhine Volleyball captured a comeback when they swept CSUN 3-0 on the home court of the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center the evening of November 7th. Although they suffered a tough 0-3 loss in a previous match against California State University Northridge Matadors earlier this season, the team settled the score.

“I think we were definitely ready to go, [...] we had a fire lit under us. That last game that we played them didn’t go how we wanted, so we were ready for revenge,” said Warrior Middle Blocker Bri Gunderson, who helped lead a strong offense with a total of eight kills throughout the match.

Backed by an energetic crowd, Hawai’i started strong and claimed the first point when Amaris Smith, outside hitter for the Matadors, sent the ball out of bounds to open the game. CSUN came in with a threatening momentum and gained a small lead over the ‘Bows to put the score at 3-4, but the Warriors took control to eventually build up a 14-point lead, closing off the first set 25-11.

“I think after the first set [there were three errors], compared to the double digits we usually have. So less errors wins games,” said Hawai’i Head Coach Robyn Ah Mow, who was satisfied with the team’s performance in the first part of the match.

The beginning of the second set proved to be intense, with a consistent battle for the lead from both teams. Two kills from Hawai’i Senior Bri Gunderson set an aggressive tone for the offense early on, and Warriors fans kept a high energy, erupting after every point to fuel the players as they fought to keep a lead in the beginning of the set.

Freshman Cha’lei Reid, the leading scorer of the game with a total of 19 points, slammed a kill for the Warriors, making the score 12-10 Hawai’i and sparked a much-needed momentum for the players. Close saves from Libero Victoria Leyva and a block from Sophomore Adrianna Arquette led the ‘Bows to an exciting 25-15 win for the second set.

Leyva kicked off the third set for Hawai’i with a serve that left the Matadors unable to get the ball back over the net. The streak continued for the ‘Bows and they built a four-point lead until CSUN Junior Julia Bazylevych made a kill, landing the first point for the Matadors. The Warriors responded with a kill of their own, made by Reid, to keep the lead.

CSUN continued to struggle for points and the Warriors took advantage of their slump, displaying both aggressive offense and defense. But just as it seemed the ‘Bows were going to claim an easy win in the third set, a kill from Bazylevych ignited new energy in the Matador players, and they began to close the gap in the score, narrowing Hawai’i’s seven-point lead down to two and forcing Head Coach Robyn to call a timeout as the score reached 13-11.

Both teams continued in an intense battle for every ball, but fans erupted when Cha’lei Reid made yet another kill for the “Bows, giving the team new strength. The energy in the arena remained high as Hawai’i then struck a nearly consecutive seven-point streak, quickly closing out the set with a score of 25-15 and sweeping the Matadors with a 3-0 victory to end the match.

“We have to clean up our errors, we have to play a more disciplined game, and that's what we went out there and did,” said Hawai’i Libero Victoria Leyva, who played a crucial role in the team's success with an impressive total of 17 digs throughout the night.

A successful three sets and a home court victory for the Rainbow Wāhine sets them up for a competitive remainder of the season as they continue to face teams leading up to the Big West Championship.

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