Rainbow Wahine return home to face Long Beach State

Coming off two sweeps on the road to open the Big West season, the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team returns to SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center tonight for the next chapter in the program’s rivalry with Long Beach State.

UH (5-5, 2-0 BWC) has won the last seven meetings with the Beach (7-7, 1-2) dating back to 2016 and will look to get back over .500 for the first time since opening the season with a 2-1 showing in the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic.

Long Beach State stumbled to an 0-2 start to conference play before sweeping Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday. The Beach arrived in town Thursday morning in search of their first win in Honolulu since 2014.

Updates will follow below:
SET 3
>> UH goes on a 3-0 run early and another three-point surge gives the Wahine a 7-4 lead. UH has three service errors already and LBSU rallies to tie it up at 9-9. Van Sickle and Kashauna Williams trade kills and UH takes a timeout at 10-10.
>> The teams trade sideouts and UH takes a 20-17 lead on a Van Sickle ace. LBSU win the next two points to close to 20-19. Wagoner hammers a kill down the line for her ninth kill and tips one over the block for No. 10. LBSU timeout with UH leading 22-19.
>> Tayli Ikenaga serves up an ace coming out of the timeout to give UH a 23-19 lead. Akana puts away a kill to give UH match point. Eryka Lovett kills extend the match but Wagoner finishes off the sweep with her 11th kill. UH wins 26-24, 25-16, 25-21.

SET 2
>> LBSU scores the first two points and UH answers with the next four on kills by Van Sickle and Wagoner and two Kashuana Williams errors. Timeout LBSU with UH up 4-2.
>> LBSU with five hitting errors early on and UH opens up a 10-4 lead on back-to-back kills by Igiede. >> Igiede goes back to serve and catches her initial toss, gets the signal to serve, and sends it over. Van Sickle gets a kill out of it. The officials confer and the point stands. Van Sickle accounts for four straight UH points and teams with Skyler Williams on a block to give the ‘Bows a 16-8 lead. Timeout LBSU.
>> Kashauna Williams had nine kills in the first set but had four errors without a kill in the second before getting one to fall into the corner. UH still leads 18-9.
>> Akana puts down her third kill of the night and Wagoner tips one off the block and out to give UH a 23-12 lead. LBSU puts together a 3-0 run and an ace prompts Robyn Ah Mow to take a timeout with UH up 23-15.
>> Wagoner ends a rally with a kill down the line to give UH set point. A UH net violation extends the set for another point but Van Sickle ends it with her 10th kill. UH runs away 25-16 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

SET 1
>> Skyler Williams puts down the first kill of the match but Long Beach State’s Kashauna Williams, the Big West’s kill leader, puts away four of her first five swings. Eryka Lovett and Kameron Bacon team up to block Brooke Van Sickle and an overpass leads to a Bacon kill. Timeout UH with LBSU up 10-5.
>> Van Sickle goes cross court coming out of the timeout and Kate Lang’s serve lands inside the backline for an ace. Van Sickle is blocked again to give LBSU an 11-7 lead. LBSU goes up 15-9 before Igiede and Braelyn Akana wall off Williams. UH closes to 15-12 on an LBSU hitting error and a Wagoner kill down the line. Timeout LBSU. UH hitting .000 with five kills and five errors to LBSU’s .231.
>> LBSU service errors keeping UH in this set, four so far for the Beach. Confusion after a point initially awarded to UH. After a conference the point is given to LBSU. UH challenges, call stands. LBSU up 17-13.
>> UH closes 17-15 and 19-17, but give back the points in serves into the net. An Akana kill brings UH to 21-19 but Katie Kennedy puts down an overpass and UH takes its second timeout trailing 22-19.
>> Kashauna Williams’ eighth kill gives LBSU a 23-20 lead. Amber Igiede ends a rally with her first kill of the night. Williams hits into the net and Wagoner’s shot rolls along the tape and lands in and all of a sudden it’s tied 23-23. Timeout LBSU with Janelle Gong serving.
>> Kashauna Williams goes off the block to give LBSU set point and Igiede answers to force deuce. Wagoner back to serve and Williams hits long, set point UH. LBSU goes back to Williams and Igiede and Lang are there for the thunderous block. UH rallies to takt the set 26-24. If only there were a crowd …

>> Video messages from former UH greats Kanoe Kamanao and Emily Hartong lead into the introduction of the UH starters: Brooke Van Sickle, Amber Igiede, Riley Wagoner, Skyler Williams, Kate Lang, Braelyn Akana and Tayli Ikenaga. Same as last week’s road matches.
>> UH freshman outside hitter Mia Johnson is participating in warm ups after missing last week’s road trip due to injury. Freshman Annika de Goede is on the bench with her right foot and ankle in a boot.