Rainbow Wahine face UC Davis, welcome fans back

For the first time since Dec. 7, 2019, the University of Hawaii women’s volleyball team will play in front of home fans when the Rainbow Wahine take on UC Davis tonight at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Wahine had played in an empty arena for their first nine home matches due to pandemic restrictions, which were eased to allow 500 spectators for tonight’s match and Saturday’s meeting with UC Riverside. That represents a fraction of the 10,300-seat capacity, but it’s a start and the attendance restriction will be lifted for the next homestand in two weeks.
For their part, the Rainbow Wahine will focus on their second meeting with UC Davis as they enter the second half of the Big West schedule. UH swept the Aggies 25-18, 25-13, 25-19 on Sept. 25 in Davis, Calif. UH hit .396 as a team led by Brooke Van Sickle’s 14 kills in 23 error-free attempts. Lana Radakovic led the Aggies with 12 kills.
Updates for the rematch follow:
SET 3
>> UH out to another fast start with a 5-1 lead. A Van Sickle/Igiede block gives UH an 8-3 lead. Van Sickle’s cross-court attempt is ruled wide. UH challenges, call stands, UH leads 10-5.
>> UH keeps the cushion and leads 15-10 at the media timeout. Williams up to nine kills (.643), seven blocks. Leoniak with eight kills, also seven blocks.
>> UC Davis wins a challenge and gets a kill from Amara Aimufua to close to 16-12. UH extends the lead to 19-13 on Van Sickle’s 11th kill. Timeout UC Davis.
>> UC Davis on a 3-0 run and a block cuts the UH lead to 20-17. Timeout UH.
>> Leoniak ends the run with her ninth kill. UC Davis wins a rally on a kill by Olivia Utterback. UH challenges that a ball earlier in the rally was down. Call stands, UC Davis closes to 21-19. Utterback and Radokovic block Igiede and UC Davis trails by one with a 6-1 run.
>> Leoniak gets a kill off a touch and UC Davis called for a back-row attack. UH leads 23-20. Timeout UC Davis.
>> A kill by Wagoner off the block gives UH match point at 24-21. UC Davis fights off the first but Van Sickle puts away her match-high 12th kill to cap UH’s 25-19, 25-7, 25-22 win. UH remains tied with UC Santa Barbara for first place in the Big West at 10-1 (13-6 overall).

SET 2
>> Kate Lang opens the set on the service line and sets up Van Sickle for two more kills. A tough serve forces a UC Davis hitting error, Williams and Leoniak with another block and it’s 4-0 UH. Early timeout for UC Davis. Yet another Williams/Leoniak block makes it 5-0.
>> UC Davis goes on a 3-0 run capped by an ace off the tape. Van Sickle hammers one through the block then serves an ace. Williams/Leoniak for a sixth time and another Van Sickle ace. Wagoner goes down the line for her fifth kill. UH on a 5-0 run and leads 10-3. UC Davis takes its second timeout. Van Sickle now hitting .727 (8-0-11) with three aces.
>> Make it four aces for Van Sickle as her service run continues. Now five as she goes back-to-back. Williams/Leoniak again. Williams through the middle to make it a 10-0 run and a 15-3 lead.
>> Up 17-6, UH goes on a 4-0 run with Wagoner on the service line for three points. Williams puts down two overpasses to give UH set point. Lang feeds Williams in the middle and UH closes a dominant set, 25-7. UH hits .481 to UC Davis’ negative-.115.

SET 1
>> The match opens to chants of “let’s go ‘Bows” from the UH band. UC Davis wins the first point but UH answers with a 4-0 run with Martyna Leoniak in on two kills, finding open floor on a two-handed free ball.
>> UC Davis closes to 7-6 on a block, ties it up at 11-11 on an ace by Casi Newman and takes the lead on a block. UH goes back ahead at 13-12 on a block by Skyler Williams and Leoniak. After a UC Davis hitting error, Williams and Leoniak with another roof and UH leads 15-12 at the media timeout. Brooke Van Sickle serves up an ace coming out of the timeout to make it a 5-0 run and a 16-12 lead for UH.
>> The teams trade sideouts and UC Davis closes to 19-17. A service error pushes the lead to 20-17. Amber Igiede goes back to serve and extends the rally with a tough dig and a double contact call on UCD gives UH a 21-17 lead. Timeout UC Davis.
>> Van Sickle hammers a kill off the block from the left side then goes cross-court from the right. A net violation on Riley Wagoner’s attempt gives UH set point at 24-19. Timeout UC Davis.
>> The Aggie scramble to bring back Williams’ swing in the middle, but Wagoner goes off the block to end the set. UH wins it 25-19. Wahine hit .316 led by Van Sickle’s five kills on eight attempts.

Starters for @HawaiiWVB vs. UC Davis: OH Brooke Van Sickle, MB Amber Igiede, OH Martyna Leoniak, OH Riley Wagoner, MB Skyler Williams, S Kate Lang, L Tayli Ikenaga. @StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/f2N93WoHEB

— Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) October 30, 2021

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The UH band welcomes fans back to SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center for tonight’s @BigWestSports match between @HawaiiWVB and UC Davis. 500 fans allowed for this weekend’s matches. @StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/8RLRPtnbRA

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— Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) October 30, 2021