Last Thursday and Friday, November 20th and 21st, Chaminade University hosted the first PacWest Women’s Volleyball Tournament in over 30 years. It was a four-team tournament that took place between Chaminade, Hawaii Hilo, Point Loma, and Fresno Pacific University.
Though a local team didn’t reach the final, PacWest associate commissioner Joe Reinsch noted that the championship matchup between Fresno Pacific and Point Loma was exactly what the season set up. The teams split their regular-season series, including a five-set match decided by just two points, making the title match a true rematch with Fresno Pacific and Point Loma. Reinsch emphasized that both teams had proven themselves as the conference’s best, ensuring a great finish to a historic first tournament with Fresno Pacific taking home the trophy.
Fresno Pacific University came out victorious in the tournament in a close five-set match (17-25, 27-25, 25-12, 14-25, 27-25) against the Point Loma Sea Lions. There were tears of joy and tears of sadness; it was a valiant effort and down to the wire.
During Fresno Pacific’s run PacWest Women’s Volleyball Tournament, junior outside hitter Rachel Plantinga and junior setter Taylor Boone described the experience of competing in Hawai‘i as both challenging and exciting. The humid conditions were way different from what they were used to in Fresno, but the opportunity to play in the first conference tournament in 30 years made the trip feel special.
Chaminade players huddled up in their semifinal match against Fresno Pacific University. (Chaminade Athletics)
The first semifinal game between Hawaii Hilo (#4 seed) and Point Loma (#1 seed) was a good first matchup, showcasing the real skill and talent of the players here at the tournament. In the second semifinal game, Chaminade (#3 seed) played Fresno Pacific (#2 seed) in a four-set match, with Chaminade only winning the second set.
“It was really stressful, but really exciting … I’ve never gone this far,” said Fresno Pacific sophomore libero Devyn Castaneda.
That chemistry became a defining force behind Fresno Pacific’s resilience, especially in the five-set championship battle where they refused to fold under pressure. Only less than a week before this matchup they had played each other at Fresno Pacific and went to five sets before Fresno Pacific won, but that ended up upsetting their undefeated record and also disposing of their number one seed placement in the tournament.
In the aftermath of the rebooted PacWest Women’s Volleyball Tournament, Chaminade juniors Reina Krueger and Tabby Allen captured what hosting the historic event meant for the program. Though their season ended with the semifinal tournament loss, both athletes emphasized how special it felt to experience something entirely new. They described the opportunity as “unique” and “really special.”
Despite the challenges of decorating an older McCabe Gym, they appreciated the clean, uniform look with all the PacWest banners and other decorations and the effort put in to elevating the space for players and fans.