Match Stats
- Hawaii def. Kansas 3-2 (25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 27-25, 15-11)
- Spring exhibition game
- Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
- Attendance: 1,010
- Box Score
The Hawaii Rainbow Wahine closed out their spring exhibition schedule this week with a 3-2 win over the defending Big 12 Champions from Kansas.
With star Nikki Taylor having exhausted her eligibility in the fall, Emily Maglio and McKenna Granato have emerged as a dynamic duo on the outside. Both players had 29 kills in 9 sets of spring action against NCAA opponents (3.2/set). That includes 17 from Granato in the second game.
Kansas was led by 16 kills from Kelsie Payne on 47 attacks (.191 percentage).
Press Releases
Courtesy Hawaii Athletics:
HONOLULU—The University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team showed its moxie as it battled back to defeat Kansas in five sets in its third and final spring match of the year, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 27-25, 15-11. McKenna Granato recorded a double-double with a match-high 17 kills and 12 digs while Emily Maglio added another double-double with 14 kills and a match-high 10 blocks on Tuesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Granato also added two blocks and a service ace in the match. She hit .170 with nine errors in 47 attacks. Maglio took 38 swings with six errors for a .211 hitting percentage. Both Granato and Maglio were tied with a match-high 19.0 points (kills + blocks + aces).
Casey Castillo also had a strong game, finishing just one block shy of her own double-double with 12 digs and nine blocks to go with five kills. On defense, Savanah Kahakai recorded a match-high 21 digs while on offense Norene Iosia dished out 38 assists with a match-high three service aces. Iosia added eight digs and five blocks—including one solo.
The first set was a close one with 15 ties and neither team taking more than a three point lead until the ‘Bows with Castillo at the service line, went on a late 4-0 run to take a 23-20 lead. Kansas then had a serving error and an attack error to give Hawai’i the first set 25-20.
In the second set, Kansas jumped out to a 7-1 lead and later extended it to 15-5. Hawai’i tried to rally back and cut their deficit to just four points, but was unable to catch the Jayhawks as they took the second set, 25-20. Similarly, in the third set, KU scored in bunches early to take a 12-5 lead. The Rainbow Wahine kept trying to chip away, and closed to within three points at 15-12. But that would be as close as the ‘Bows would get as Kansas pulled away down the stretch for the 25-20 win in the third set.
Hawai’i fought back and showed their grit in the fourth set. The set was close early with six ties to start the frame. Then UH built as big as a three point lead at 16-13. But Jayhawks would close the gap quickly, scoring four out of the next five points to knot the score at 17-17. The score would be tied seven more times down the stretch and Kansas actually served for the match at 25-24, but a Jayhawk service error kept UH alive with the set tied at 25-25. The ‘Bows Granato then terminated a rally to take a 26-25 lead and the next KU attack sailed long which gave UH a 27-25 win to tie the match at two sets apiece.
The Rainbow Wahine trailed early in set five, but UH turned the tide by starting their own block party, recording five blocks fifth set alone. The ‘Bows went on a 7-to-1 run which gave them a 14-8 lead and six match points. Kansas rallied to close to within three at 14-11, but Maglio put down the final kill of the night to lift Hawai’i to the thrilling, five set win.
Hawai’i out-blocked the Jayhawks, 19.0-to-12.0 and edged out KU in hitting, .102-to-.096.
Kansas, the defending Big 12 champions, was led by Kelsie Payne who tallied 16 kills, seven digs and four blocks and Madison Rigdon who recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs plus a service ace.
The match against Kansas wrapped up Hawai’i’s spring matches for the year. The Rainbow Wahine defeated Team Osaka in five sets and fell to Minnesota in straight sets last week.
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