Fans doing the signature “roof” celebration after the Wāhine score on a crucial block.
Nicole Lawler / Sports Editor
Winning 3-1 the Roadrunners won the closest set of the game, but the Rainbow Wahine cruised past them to earn their majority three to win. . UH Manoa hosted CSU Bakersfield at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in front of more than 5,000 fans, on military night.
The Wahine increased their record against CSU Bakersfield, extending their unbeaten streak to 11-0 in all-time contests. Three Wahine earned double digit kills in the contest. Leading the way were Bri Gunderson and Miliana Sylvester both contributing a game-high of 12 kills each, with freshman Cha’lei Reid adding 11 of her own.
The Wahine have won four of their last five contests and moved to 11-14 in the season, 7-7 in the big west, placing them just shy of 5th place under CSUN.
Hawaiʻi immediately seeked to gain control with a fast 4-0 opening run. Early errors by the Roadrunners helped Hawaiʻi create a sizable gap early. Julia Udell put CSUB on the board with an ace of her own to cut into the Wahineʻs momentum but was quickly shut down by another kill from Gunderson.
Down 23-8 in the set, the Roadrunners set up a few rallies to force some momentum, but Hawaiʻi’s defense ended up sealing the set 25-11 in a dominant opening.
CSU Bakersfield came out firing, immediately starting off the set with a 4-0 start, placing Hawaiʻi on the defensive. Reid, Gunderson, and Arquette combined for multiple blocks helping Hawaiʻi even the game out at 6-6, erasing CSUB’s early lead.
Setter Luiza Da Cruz, at the line and controlling tempo, inspired the Roadrunners on a 7-1 surge that shocked the Wahine, giving Bakersfield a commanding 14-7 advantage. Miliana Sylvester was there for a timely delivery to stop Hawaii’s bleeding and kept them in it at 15-11.
As momentum shifts happen behind every rally, the teams traded kills on nearly every rally, with three straight coming from Cha’lei Reid. Impressive plays from Hawaiʻi’s front line mounted to a late charge for the Wahine, but it wasn’t enough as the early lead from Bakersfield was maintained to closeout the set 25-20.
The third set was opened with a shaky start on both sides, with both teams trading service errors and momentum not favoring either side. Adriana Arquette scored with two consecutive service aces leading to a small Hawaii run resulting in 11-7 gap.
CSUB traded occasional kills, but it would immediately be matched with many errors as well, preventing any real comeback. With Hawaiʻi’s defense on a roll, Gunderson hammered the final kill securing the set at 25-18.
The Rainbow Wahine came out swinging in the final set. The set rallied behind an important serving run from Kahea Moriwaki, which powered a 5-0 run that opened the lead from 17-13 to 22-13. However, it wasn’t only Hawaiʻi’s offense that provided the win but their control of the net, with key blocks from Gunderson, Reid, and Mane.
CSUB was keeping up early, but constant attack errors late would make them pay for their mistakes and Rayvn Dash would close the set with a kill to secure the 25-14 win.
The Rainbow Wahine go on a road trip to California where they will play two of the top four teams in the Big West Standing. UCSB on Nov. 14 and Cal Poly on Nov. 15 looking to edge into the top 5.