Box Score HONOLULU, Hawaii – Career-high efforts by
Harlee Kekauoha and
Idara Akpakpa were not enough as No. 17 Hawaii defeated UC Irvine, 3-1 at the Stan Sheriff Center Friday.
Kekauoha had a career and match-high 19 digs to go with nine kills. Akpakpa tied her career-high, putting down a career-high 11 kills without an error on 14 attempts, hitting .786. The middle blocker also had two blocks.
Victoria Dennis led the Anteaters with 16 kills, while Loryn Carter added seven kills and four blocks. Shelley Anderson totaled 41 set assists and Danielle Geiger recorded five blocks.
Hawaii was led by All-American Nikki Taylor with 20 kills. McKenna Granato and Annie Mitchem followed with nine kills. Mitchem also had a team-high five blocks.
Team statistics were close as Hawaii edged UCI in hitting (.289-.248), aces (5-4) and blocks (9-8). The Anteaters topped UH in digs, 57-49.
Hawaii used a kill by Nikki Taylor followed by two aces, another kill and a block to open an 8-3 lead. UH would score the final five points of the set to win 25-14. Freshman Loryn Carter sparked UCI in the first set with three kills and a solo block.
Three consecutive UCI errors helped Hawaii take a 7-3 advantage in the second set. The Rainbow Wahine would score four of the next six to extend the lead to 11-5. The Anteaters would go on a 5-2 run to close to 17-15 prompting Hawaii to call timeout. A kill by Harlee Kekauoha off her shoulder plus a UH error tied the set at 17-17. After trading points, the Rainbow Wahine would go on a 4-1 spurt to move in front 22-19 and then win 25-21. Both teams struggled offensively with Hawaii hitting .190 to UCI's .189. Victoria Dennis carried the offensive load for the Anteaters with six kills.
Hawaii put away three kills in a row to lead 7-5 in the third stanza, but the lead would be short lived as kills by Idara Akpakpa and Haley DeSales knotted the set at 9-9. At 14-14, the Rainbow Wahine had three more kills and a UCI error to go up 18-14. UH held a 23-20 lead before the Anteaters had a block by Carter and Danielle Geiger and a Hawaii setting error to narrow the margin to 23-22. A service error out of a timeout gave Hawaii match point 24-22. UCI would win the set, scoring the next three on a kill by Dennis and two UH attacks that sailed wide, 26-24.
The Rainbow Wahine clamped down the net with three straight blocks to go ahead 8-4 in the fourth set. An ace and a kill extended the UH lead to 10-4. UCI rallied on a 6-1 run to close within 11-10, but UH would score the next two to keep a safe distance. The final three kills were put down by Hawaii giving them the 25-18 victory.
Hawaii improves to 15-5 overall and 6-1 in the Big West, while UCI goes to 7-14 on the year and 2-5 in conference action.
UCI returns home to host Cal State Fullerton Thursday (Oct. 20) at 7:00 p.m. on Crawford Court.
