Kate Lang, # 10, celebrates after scoring a point in the first set of Long Beach State’s Rainbow Wahine 3-0 sweep at the Stan Sheriff Center Friday night.
The Rainbow Wāhine volleyball team continued their winning streak against their conference opponents and defeated Long Beach State 3-0 at the SimpliFi Arena in the Stan Sheriff Center. The results for Friday night’s game were 26-24, 25-16 and 25-21 for Hawaii.
Hawaii’s Brooke Van Sickle had double-digit kills at 15 for the eighth time this season, while Riley Wagoner himself had 11 kills with a hit rate of 0.409. Setter Kate Lang also scored a double-double, the first of her career, with 37 assists and 11 digs.
“Kate is so fun to play,” said Hawai’i mid-blocker Amber Igiede after the game. “We have two really good setters and I think they like us, even in the transition phase, which is really important.”
Brooke Van Sickle, # 2, tips the ball during the Rainbow Wahine 3-0 sweep of Long Beach State at the Stan Sheriff Center Friday night.
Igiede and his middle blocker Skyler Williams combined a total of 14 kills with five blocks during the night, including a critical block from Igiede and Lang, which sealed the first set for the Rainbow Wāhine, who covered up to six points in the set.
“It goes back to our confidence and saying, ‘Hey, this is not us,'” Williams said. “We just have to remember who we are.”
Although Long Beach State led most of the set, service errors on Beach kept Hawaii in the game. The Rainbow Wāhine managed to force two behind an Igiede kill, and after a long swing from Long Beach State, Igiede and Lang’s combined block against Kashauna Williams crowned a 3-0 late scoring run from Hawaii that helped them out Adjust opening to close.
“It was really exciting,” said Igiede of the piece. “I was very excited, the team was excited.”
Long Beach State started with two strong sets and built an early 2-0 lead, but a 4-0 run from Hawaii put them in the lead as the Beach were held at 0.156 batting average for the rest of the time. Hawaii took the set on Van Sickle’s tenth kill of the match after a Long Beach State player fell short trying to dig him out.
The Beach bounced back on set three to stay close, with the set tied a total of seven times. Hawai’i took care of business, however, as Riley Wagoner’s kills accounted for three of the last five Rainbow Wāhine points in the third set, including the match ball to push Hawaii to 3-0 in conference play this season.
“Riley is on another level,” said Hawaii trainer Robyn Ah Mow. “She is doing great. In practice too. I just said the other day I said, ‘Man, Riley was solid.’ “
For Long Beach State, Erykah Lovett led the team with 15 kills with a hit rate of 0.438. Kashauna Williams had 14 kills for the beach herself, but also racked up 12 attack errors to end the night with .057.
Hawaii closes its weekend with a game against Cal State Fullerton on Sunday. The first serve is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. HST, with Spectrum OC16 televising the game.
