Total contribution, domination as Wahine sweep away CSUN

The Hawaii women’s volleyball team enjoyed its 90-minute sweep of Cal State Bakersfield so much on Friday that it sped things up even more on Sunday.

The Rainbow Wahine needed only 78 minutes to earn their fourth straight sweep in a 25-13, 25-14, 25-12 win over Cal State Northridge at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Senior Amber Igiede hit a match-high .722 with 13 kills in 18 errorless swings and junior Paula Guersching notched a career-high seven kills over the final two sets for Hawaii (8-4, 2-0 Big West), which emptied the bench for the second straight match to open conference play before a crowd of 3,818.

“I don’t think any weekend is easy but I thought they did good this weekend,” Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow said after another convincing win.

Hawaii has won all 12 sets it has played since losing to TCU in four after losing a 24-20 lead in the second set against the Horned Frogs up 1-0 in the match.

UH dominated in every facet against the Matadors (2-11, 0-2), who hit minus-.035 for the match and did not record a block.

Ten different Rainbow Wahine notched a kill as setter Kate Lang notched a match-high 22 assists and five digs enjoying the full complement of players to set to.

“It’s very beneficial to play with all of my teammates,” Lang said. “Seeing them and giving them game experience and myself having game experience with them makes things easier for the journey we have ahead of us this season.”

Guersching, a transfer from Youngstown State, played every point over the final two sets in place of senior Riley Wagoner.

She set her career high in kills in the second set alone and added three digs and a block assist.

“Wanted to get her in there on the left. I thought she did a good job,” Ah Mow said. “Paula was kind of down when we all started. I saw everybody at practice for two-a-days in camp for two weeks, didn’t really get to see what she could do other than obviously on video when we recruited her.”

Hawaii opened the match hitting .360 in the opening set while CSUN committed eight hitting errors.

The Rainbow Wahine quickly built a 16-8 lead allowing Ah Mow to go to her bench early, bringing in backup setter Jackie Matias and freshman hitter Tali Hakas as the first two subs.

Junior Tayli Ikenaga also got on the court in the opening set for the first time in seven matches since the loss to Liberty.

The substitutions continued in the second set with Guersching replacing Wagoner to start.

By the time the second set was done, 13 Rainbow Wahine had entered the match, exceeding the previous high of 12 in Friday’s sweep of Cal State Bakersfield.

“In the first four weeks we never could see everybody (play) but it was good to get most of the girls in,” Ah Mow said.

Hawaii used an 11-0 run to run away with the third set with Talia Edmonds serving 10 consecutive points.

Edmonds had all three Hawaii aces.

“I think this weekend just proved to ourselves that we are and can be a low-error team if we are focused enough,” Lang said. “I think that coming into weekends like this we have to treat it like every other game, and we did this week.”

UH will hit the road for two matches next weekend beginning at Long Beach State on Friday.