HPU Athletics
Bill Powers
HONOLULU – Hawai’i Pacific University won its first PacWest Conference match of the season, going the distance to beat Hawai’i Hilo 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at The Shark Tank.
The Sharks (2-8, 1-1) outlasted the Vulcans (4-2, 1-1) 25-22, 25-21, 25-27, 13-25, 15-13 to secure the victory.
Similar to their Friday match with Chaminade, Sunday’s battle with the Vulcans saw a block-fest, with HPU posting a season-best 13.0 team blocks and UHH 10.0 team blocks.
The Sharks recorded a hitting percentage of .240 to go with the season-high in blocks. The Vulcans hit .249 for the contest.
The Sharks were led by sophomore Ella Dotson of Tucson, Ariz./Marana, who recorded her second consecutive double-double of the season with 17 kills and 15 digs to go with four blocks. Senior Lauren Christie of Lebanon, Ore./Lebanon chalked up 16 kills, and junior Demi Winters of Gresham, Ore./Barlow led the match eight blocks. Freshman Ali Rumpel of Athens, Ga./Athens Academy posted five blocks for the Sharks.
The Vulcans got a double-double of 22 kills and 10 digs from Bria Beale, to go with a double-double of 14 kills and 16 digs from Alexandria Parisian who also added four blocks. Samara Cruz added 12 kills and Ashton Jessee 11 with three blocks. Kamilla Marinas led the Vulcans with five blocks.
The contest was tight in four of the five sets, with the teams going through eight lead changes and 23 ties in the two hour, 13 minute match.
The teams played even in the first set until a 18-18 tie. Dotson gave HPU the lead with a service ace to propel the Sharks to a 5-1 run. HPU used a kill from Christie to get to set point, but saw the Vulcans pick up two more scores before Christie ended the set with a kill for a 25-23 win.
The Sharks never trailed in the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 advantage only to have UH Hilo come back to tie the set at 21-21. Christie got a kill to put HPU back up started the 4-0 run to win the set 25-21 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set was a battle, with 10 ties and one heartbreaking lead change. The Sharks built a four-point lead, only to have the Vulcans come back to even the set. The Sharks would retake a one-point lead only to have the Vulcans follow to tie. UH Hilo took a 21-19 lead before HPU fought off one set point and tied the contest at 24-24. The Vulcans retook the lead at 25-24 on a Beale kill, only to have an attack error even the contest at 25-25. Beale followed with consecutive kills to lead the Vulcans to a 27-25 set win.
The Vulcans dominated the fourth set, going on a 10-1 run after the Sharks gained the first point. HPU used a different rotation through the set, resting some Sharks in falling to UH Hilo 25-13.
In the deciding set, the Sharks went on a 4-0 run to claim a 10-6 lead then held on. Senior Nicole Ferris of Woodstock, Ga./Etowah recorded the Sharks last two kills to win the set and the match.
The Sharks are off until Monday, Sept. 27 when they begin a northern California road trip in Oakland by facing Holy Names. That match begins at 2:30 p.m. HST (5:30 PDT) at HNU’s Tobin Gym.