Match Stats
- No. 23 San Diego def. No. 20 Hawai’i 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-21)
- San Diego moves to 1-1, Hawai’i falls to 0-2
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Attendance: 5,974
- Box Score
Senior opposite Jayden Kennedy put down a match-high 17 kills and hit at a .500 clip to pace the Toreros to a sweep of No. 20 Hawai’i late Saturday night.
Kennedy’s effort steered USD to a .324 hitting percentage, while the Rainbow Wahine managed just a .181 effort. The Toreros also outdid Hawai’i 5-2 in aces and 50-43 in digs, but UH won the blocking battle 7.5-6.
Kennedy, who also accounted for a team-leading three blocks in the match, had help from redshirt junior middle blocker Kaity Edwards (10) and freshman outside Roxie Wiblin (9) on the offensive front. Edwards hit at a team-best .625 clip, going without an error in 16 swings, while also serving up a team-leading two aces and adding two blocks. Senior libero Lizzy Tardieu paced the defense with 13 digs followed by senior outside Merve Tanyel‘s 11.
Senior middle Emily Maglio was the lone Rainbow Wahine player with double-digit kills, checking in with 11 putaways to go with her four blocks. Junior outside McKenna Granato added nine kills, while freshman middle Skyler Williams followed with eight kills and a match-high seven stuffs. Defensively, sophomore setter Norene Tosia and senior libero Clare-Marie Anderson managed nine digs apiece.
The Toreros blazed out to an 8-3 lead in Set 1 care of two Hawaii miscues and three stuffs. Hawai’i cut the margin to two at 1-11 and 14-12 as Casey Castillo and Granato hit their strides offensively. Another 4-1 run by the Rainbow Wahine knotted the score at 16. The teams traded points until Hawai’i grabbed a 23-20 lead as Maglio turned in two kills and a block. USD responded with five straight points, including two kills and a block by Kennedy to steal away the 25-23 victory. The final point came on a Maglio miscue.
USD hit at a .469 clip in Set 2, committing just one error, en route to a 25-13 drubbing. The teams were level at 5-all before the Toreros broke away with seven straight points to kick off a 17-4 run which put the set out of reach at 22-9. Four different players posted kills in the stretch, which also included three aces. Down 24-11, Hawaii did stop two set point chances, including an ace by McKenna Ross, but couldn’t hold off a final kill by Edwards.
Hawai’i took the early edge in Set 3, going up 10-7 with a 4-0 run including a trio of blocks. The Rainbow Wahine kept USD at bay over the next 18 points, never relinquishing the lead. Down 19-16, the Toreros mounted their comeback, closing out the set on a 9-2 run. The rally began with kills by Addie Picha, Wiblin and Tanyel, part of a run of four straight points. Hawai’i tied it up at 20, but USD would not be stopped cruising to the 25-21 win with five of the final six scores. Three came on Kennedy putaways and the final on a kill by Edwards.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy: USD Athletics
The No. 22 USD Volleyball team (1-1) swept No. 20 Hawai’i (0-2) 3-0 Saturday evening in their second match of the Texaco Rainbow Wahine Invitational. Jayden Kennedy had a career high 17 kills to lead the Toreros to a 25-23, 25-13, 25-21 win.
The Toreros bounced back from a 3-0 loss to No. 13 UCLA to hit .324 against the Rainbow Wahine, while holding them to a .181 kill percentage. Kennedy’s 17 kills came on a .500 kill percentage and Kaity Edwards hit .625 with 10 kills and zero errors. Roxie Wiblin nearly had a double-double with nine kills and nine digs. Lizzy Tardieu led all players with 13 digs and Kristen Gengenbacher paced the offense with 39 assists.
The Toreros jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the first set only to see the ‘Bows rally to take a 23-20 lead. USD then finished the set with five unanswered points to win 25-23.
USD dominated the second set, hitting .469 with just one error. The 25-13 win gave Hawai’i its worst loss since the NCAA Tournament in 2015 when Minnesota knocked them out.
Similar to the first set, a late rally lifted the Toreros to a win in the third set. Hawai’i led 18-15, but USD had seven kills down the stretch and finished on a 10-3 run to complete the sweep of the Rainbow Wahine.
The Toreros wrap up the Texaco Rainbow Wahine Invitational Sunday evening at 5:45 p.m. PT against Marquette, who beat Hawai’i 3-2 Friday evening.
Courtesy: Hawai’i Athletics
The No. 20 University of Hawai’i is still in searching for its first win of 2017 after falling to No. 22 San Diego (1-1) 25-23, 25-13, 25-21 on the second night of the Texaco Rainbow Wahine Invitational Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
A night after a five-set marathon loss to Marquette in its season opener, UH looked for a big bounce-back win. But the Rainbow Wahine came up empty handed against a red-hot Toreros squad. USD hit .324 for the match and the Rainbow Wahine had late leads slip away in Sets 1 and 3 to ensure an 0-2 start for the second straight year.
Senior Emily Maglio continued her role splitting time, this time getting the start at outside hitter and sliding over to outside hitter in the third set. She led the team in kills with 11. In her second collegiate match, freshman middle hitter Skyler Williams had another solid night notching a match-high seven UH blocks and adding eight kills. Junior outside hitter McKenna Granato added nine kills and seven digs, while sophomore setter Norene Iosia tallied 31 assists, nine digs and a service ace.
The Rainbow Wahine were poised to win a roller coaster first set. UH rallied from a seven-point hole early and eventually held a 23-20 lead. But the ‘Bows surrendered the last five points of the set to fall 25-20.
The second set was tied 5-5 early, but after that it was all Toreros. USD reeled off seven straight and 17 of the next 21 points to take an insurmountable lead. The Toreros eventually took the set, 25-13, while hitting a scorching .469. It was UH’s worst set loss since a 25-13 loss in the 2015 NCAA regional final.
UH came out hungry in the third set and held a 19-16 lead. But again, the Rainbow Wahine couldn’t finish the deal. USD went on a 9-2 run to clinch a 25-21 set 3 win and secure the sweep of the ‘Bows.
Senior opposite hitter Jayden Kennedy led USD with 17 kills, while middle blocker Kaity Edwards added 10 kills and a pair of blocks.
The Rainbow Wahine will conclude the Texaco Rainbow Wahine Invitational on Sunday with a matchup versus long-time rival and 13th-ranked UCLA (2-0). First serve is set for 5:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
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