Rainbow Wahine travel to UC Irvine for Big West showdown

The Rainbow Wahine volleyball team will have a quick turnaround for today’s match at UC Irvine.
Following Friday night’s four-set battle at UC San Diego, the Wahine were scheduled for a 10 a.m. Pacific time serve-and-pass session before facing the host Anteaters at the Bren Events Center at 5 p.m. (2 p.m. Hawaii time).
UC Irvine enters the match with the top overall record in the Big West at 11-4 and has won three straight to remain a game behind Hawaii and UC Santa Barbara in the conference standings at 4-1. The Anteaters pulled out a five-set win at UC San Diego on Tuesday and had the rest of the week to recharge before facing the Wahine.
Hawaii took 2 hours and 15 minutes to grind out Friday’s win at UCSD, enjoyed a postmatch meal in San Diego, then drove up to Orange County ahead of today’s match.
The teams split their meetings in 2019. UC Irvine stunned the Wahine with a reverse sweep at the Stan Sheriff Center to end UH’s 40-match winning streak in the series. UH responded with a sweep in Irvine later in the season and leads the series 41-1. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with radio coverage on ESPN Honolulu.
For those scoreboard watching, Cal Poly improved to 5-1 with a 25-17, 25-19, 25-18 sweep at UC Davis. UC Santa Barbara plays host to Cal State Fullerton at 3 p.m.
Updates for the latest meeting follow below.
SET 4
>> Igiede scores on two step-out kills to and goes back to serve up a five-point run. UCI with four consecutive errors to give UH a 6-1 lead.
>> Two Umeh kills and two UCI blocks spark a 6-1 UCI run and it’s tied 7-7. Anteaters move out to a 9-8 lead and Van Sickle ties it and an ace by Tayli Ikenaga gives UH a 10-9 lead.
>> Leoniak puts together another service run, including an ace off the tape, and Lang wins a joust to give UH a 14-10 lead. UCI answers with a 3-0 run to close to 14-13.
>> An Igiede/Wagoner block sparks a 5-0 run including two Igiede kills and two UCI errors. After a sideout and another UCI error, Igiede goes back to serve and stays there for the next four points. An ace and a Van Sickle kill gives UH match point at 24-14. UCI fights off the first, but Kiraly goes up for a solo block on Ofoegbu to end it. UH wins 20-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-15 to improve to 9-5 overall and 6-0 in Big West play.
>> Wagoner leads UH with 16 kills with 14 for Van Sickle. Akana ends with a career-high 11 and Igiede finishes with nine.

SET 3
>> UH with three hitting errors early on and a block by Ofoegbu on Akana gives the Anteaters a 7-2 lead. Timeout UH.
>> UH goes on a 5-0 run with Van Sickle on the service line as Akana battles back from two errors to put away two kills. After a sideout, UH scores the next three points to take a 10-8 lead.
>> UCI ties it at 10-10, Akana rolls in another kill, she has 10 today. Leoniak back in to serve and delivers another long run. An ace off the tape give UH a 13-10 lead. A tough serve produces an overpass and Wagoner taps it down. UH up 15-10 at the media timeout.
>> UCI goes on a 7-1 run and ties it at 17-17 on a back row kill from Mariana Bertlone. Teams trade sideouts and Akana puts away an out of system kill to give UH a 20-19 lead. Ofoegbu called for a lift and an back-row violation gives UH a 22-19 lead.
>> UCI goes on a 3-0 run with Radford grad Bailey Darnell on the service line to tie it up 22-22.
>> Igiede kill give UH set point at 24-23. UCI forces deuce and Lang’s set is behind Igiede for an error to give the Anteaters a set point. Wagoner gets a tip to fall to make it 25-25. Van Sickle soars for a kill into the corner, set point UH. Van Sickle’s swing goes off the tape and falls. UH win the set 27-25 and takes a 2-1 lead.

SET 2
>> UH opens strong and leads 6-4 after an ace by Lang. Wagoner puts away back-to-back kills to make it 9-5. UCI closes the gap and moves ahead 14-13 on consecutive blocks by Joy Umeh on Van Sickle. An errant bump set makes it 15-13 at the media timeout. Carly Richter’s third ace makes it a four-point margin before UH ends the 5-0 run.
>> Anna Kiraly in at middle blocker for Skyler Williams. She scores on a step out to make it 15-17. UH ties it with a 4-1 run, Akana goes off the block to make it 18-18.
>> UCI goes back up 19-18 when Igiede scores in the middle. Martyna Leoniak in to serve for UH. Wagoner kill gives UH the lead. Lang puts over a dump for her second kill. UCI hits wide and another Igiede kill makes it 23-19. Timeout UCI.
>> Leoniak’s service run ends with an error but UH gets set point when Wagoner’s pass goes over the net and falls to the floor. Umeh hits long and UH wins the set 25-20.

SET 1
>> The teams trade blocks to open the match. UC Irvine takes a 4-2 lead and stretches the lead to 14-9 to force a UH timeout. Anteaters on an 3-0 run.
>> UC Irvine hitting over .500 early on and takes a 17-11 lead. UH on a 4-0 run with a Kate Lang kill off an overpass and Riley Wagoner’s first kill of the match. UH Irvine timeout leading 17-15.
>> UH closes to 17-16 on a Wagoner kill before UC Irvinve gets the serve back. Amber Igiede gets her first kill to make it 17-18, A Joy Umeh kill, a block and an ace makes it 21-17. UH takes its second timeout.
>> The teams trade sideouts and a UH service error makes it 23-19. Onye Ofoegbu gives UCI set point with a kill in the middle. Van Sickle goes off the block to keep UH alive, but her serve goes long and UCI win the set 25-20. Anteaters hit .400 to UH’s .281.