SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Career-best performances highlighted the University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team’s sweep of Cal Poly to open a three-game road trip on Friday at the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Rainbow Wahine middle blocker Jacyn Bamis’ career-high 15th kill punctuated a 25-21, 29-27, 25-21 victory over the host Mustangs and UH (11-6, 5-2 Big West) tightened the conference race by knocking off one of the early leaders.
Outside hitter Caylen Alexander posted nine of her match-high 18 kills in the third set and setter Kate Lang served up a career-best five aces — four coming in succession in the first set — to go along with 49 assists in UH’s fourth sweep of the conference season. The match featured 34 ties and 18 lead changes and UH pulled out the second set after fending off three Cal Poly set points.
Opposite Tali Hakas hit .450 with nine kills in 20 error-free attempts and had10 digs and middle blocker Miliana Sylvester added nine kills and three blocks.
Libero Tayli Ikenaga popped up 13 digs and entered the UH career top 10 in raising her total to 1,142. She passed Suzanne Eagye (1,138, 1984-87) for 10th in program history and is one dig away from Teee Williams (1987-98) for ninth.
Cal Poly (13-6, 6-2) entered the match tied with UC Davis atop the Big West standings and riding a streak of four consecutive sweeps. With Friday’s results around the conference, UC Davis is alone in first at 6-1 followed by Cal Poly with UH and Long Beach State right behind at 5-2.
Kate Lang lands ace No. 5⃣ of the match!#GoBows #SISTAHHOOD pic.twitter.com/NY9OJ8iFJJ
— Hawaii W. Volleyball (@HawaiiWVB) October 19, 2024
UH ran the middle early on with Bamis putting away three of her first five swings. She was on the service line for a 4-0 UH run with back-to-back kills from Stella Adeyemi giving UH a 10-5 lead and prompting a Cal Poly timeout. The Mustangs surged ahead with a 7-1 run and UH tied the set at 16-16 on a block by Bamis and Hakas. Lang then served up four consecutive aces, passing her previous career high of three in her service turn, to give UH command and the ‘Bows snapped Cal Poly’s run of 12 consecutive sets won.
The ‘Bows and Mustangs traded runs in a second set with Cal Poly looking to even the match with a 22-19 lead. UH answered with a 4-1 run and tied the set on back-to-back Alexander kills and after a Cal Poly sideout, Bamis scored to force deuce. UH had a set point denied and Cal Poly had two more chances to close out the set, the second again foiled by Bamis at 27-26. Hakas’ kill down the line to gave UH set point and a Cal Poly error gave UH the set and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Make it a career-high 12 kills for Jacyn Bamis to extend Set 2!#GoBows #SISTAHHOOD pic.twitter.com/HGSOG7Vab5
— Hawaii W. Volleyball (@HawaiiWVB) October 19, 2024
The duel continued into a third set that saw 17 ties and six lead changes, the last tie coming at 21-21. Alexander put away her final two kills and a Bamis-Hakas block pushed UH to match point. Bamis then scored through the middle to end the match.
Tommi Stockham led Cal Poly with 14 kills and the Mustangs hit .274 as a team.
The Rainbow Wahine continue on to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday and face the Gauchos (7-12, 3-4) at The Thunderdome. First serve is set for 7 p.m. Pacific Time (4 p.m. Hawai’i Time).
#HawaiiWVB
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