Game Night: Hawaii-USC renew rivalry

Hawaii and USC renew their women’s volleyball rivalry tonight when the programs open the two-match Outrigger Volleyball Series at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

The Rainbow Wahine and Trojans had seven meetings between 2003 and 2011 with four coming in the NCAA tournament. But they’ve crossed paths far less frequently since and tonight’s meeting will be the first since UH’s five-set win in the first round of the 2016 NCAA tournament in Minneapolis. USC is also making its first trip to Hawaii since 2011, when Alex Jupiter put away 33 kills and the Trojans ended UH’s season with a five-set victory in the NCAA regional semifinals. Jane Croson led UH with 25 kills that night with Kanani Danielson adding 21 in her final match with the Wahine.

USC enters tonight’s match at 3-3 with UH at 2-4 after dropping three matches on its Utah road trip last week.

Updates for the tonight’s match follow:
SET 4
>> Three more kills for De Goede and she’s up to 11 kills while hitting .500 (11-1-20). UH up 4-2.
>> UH breaks out to an 8-4 lead and USC answers with a 4-0 run. Timeout UH at 8-8. Robyn Ah Mow quite animated in the huddle.
>> USC block gives the Trojans the lead at 9-8. UH ties on a Kiraly kill but USC gets the next three points to make it an 8-1 run. Mia Johnson enters for Wagoner and bangs a kill off the block to make it 12-10. UH gets a break when USC is called for an over-reach. Johnson’s free ball lands just inside the baseline for a kill to cut USC’s lead to 14-13.
>> Van Sickle has been quite since the first set but gets a kill off the touch to tie it up 15-15. Rotation violation on USC gives UH the lead back.
>> Johnson’s kill is ruled out and UH challenges. The call is reversed and UH leads 19-17. USC hits out and the Trojans challenge. Call stands and its’ 20-17. Johnson goes cross-court for a kill to extend the run to 4-0 and a 21-17 lead. Timeout USC.
>> Ikenaga serves up her first career ace and its 22-17. USC can’t handle Van Sickle’s back-row attack and takes its second timeout with UH up 23-17.
>> Trojans hit long to give UH match point. USC wins the next three points to make it 24-20. Timeout UH.
>> Mia Johnson hammers a kill off the block and UH wins it 25-17, 11-25, 25-21, 25-20.

SET 3
>> Wagoner back into the UH lineup to start the set and gets the first kill, her third of the match. Igiede serves UH’s second ace of the night to give UH a 4-2 lead. USC rallies to tie it 5-5.
>> Natural points hard to come by and UH edges ahead 13-11 when Kiraly sends back a tip by Lazaro. Byrd finds a hole in the middle of the USC defense and Botkin hits long. UH up 15-12 at the media timeout.
>> USC ties it at 16-16. UH goes back ahead on Igiede’s fourth block of the night. Igiede’s tip in the middle falls to give UH a 19-18 lead. De Goede’s standing swing goes off the USC block and it’s 20-18. Timeout USC.
>> Igiede’s six dig sets up De Goede’s eighth kill to give UH a 21-18 lead. Wahine then called for a lift and Van Sickle hits long. USC closes to 21-20. Timeout UH.
>> Tuaniga’s serve slams into the net coming out of the timeout. Janelle Gong comes off the bench and serves up an ace. UH up 23-20. USC takes its second timeout.
>> Kiraly with a solo block to give UH set point at 24-20. USC fights off the first but Kiraly hammers one down the line on a step up and UH takes the set 25-21 and leads the match 2-1.

SET 2
>> After early sideouts, USC takes its first lead of the match and UH calls timeout after back-to-back hitting errors. Trojans up 6-3. USC made several lineup changes with Raquel Lazaro taking over at setter for freshman Mia Tuaniga.
>> UH hitting negative with six early errors. Kate Lang in to set for UH. Mia Johnson into the match for Wagoner. A USC block makes it 15-6.
>> The teams combine for four consecutive service errors and Johnson hits into the net. USC up 19-10. Timeout UH.
>> The Wahine struggling to get clean swings and the Trojans pull away. They end the set on a 4-0 run closing with an ace by Botkin to win it 25-11. Match tied 1-1.
>> UH hits -.115 (6-9-26) to USC’s .476.

SET 1
>> The Wahine and Trojans trade side outs for the first 11 points of the match before UH scores a natural point when USC hits long to take a 7-5 lead. Another kill attempt goes into the antennae and a Mylana Byrd ace gives UH a 9-5 lead. UH freshman Annika De Goede made her first start and recorded her first career kill on her second swing of the match.
>> UH leads 12-6 after kills by De Goede and Igiede and a block by the duo. Timeout USC.
>> The Trojans get a kill out of the timeout but hit out on their next three attacks and it’s 15-7.
>> With UH up 17-11, De Goede hits off the cord and UH is called for four-contacts. Robyn Ah Mow challenges and a touch is called. Replay the point and the Trojans hit out.
>> Kiraly scores on a step out and De Goede hammers one from the back row and its 20-13. USC takes its second timeout. UH hitting .400.
>> UH continues to pull away and leads 23-14 on an Igiede/De Geode block. Igiede’s third kill gives UH set point at 24-15. USC fights off two set points and Brooke Botkin hits long to give UH the set 25-17.

UH hits .324 (14-3-34) in the first set to USC's .026 and wins it 25-17. Brooke Van Sickle leads @HawaiiWVB with 4 kills. Annika De Goede provides a spark in her first start with 3 kills, 2 blocks. @StarAdvertiser

— Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) September 11, 2021

Starting lineup for @HawaiiWVB vs. USC: OH Brooke Van Sickle, MB Amber Igiede, OH Riley Wagoner, S Mylana Byrd, L Tayli Ikenaga, MB Anna Kiraly, OH Annika De Goede. @StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/1608VQXQ6z

---

— Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) September 11, 2021