Rainbow Wahine Survive in 5, Season-Opening Win over SMU

8/26/2023 10:47 PM

HONOLULU - The University of Hawai'i women's volleyball team looks well-positioned to sustain their success from last season after surviving a five-set match against Southern Methodist University in their season opener at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Friday night.

Tough First Set

The Wahine started out slow, losing the first set 25-19. They fell behind early and did not regain the lead at any point. SMU hit .300 in the set, while Hawai'i hit just .103.

Recovering from Set 1

Hawai'i bounced back in the second set, winning 25-16. They hit .308 in the set and held SMU to .125.

Rallying to Take the Match

The teams traded sets in the third and fourth, with SMU winning the third 25-22 and Hawai'i taking the fourth 25-19. In the fifth and deciding set, Hawai'i pulled away late to win 15-11.

Exceptional Performances

Junior hitter Caylen Alexander led the Wahine with 20 kills. Freshman setter Kate Lang had 50 assists and 10 digs, while junior libero Tayli Ikenaga had 25 digs. SMU was led by senior hitter Lily Heim, who had 18 kills.

Hawai'i improves to 1-0 on the season, while SMU falls to 0-1.