Box Score

HONOLULU – The No. 6 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine volleyball team (25-3) swept through the Idaho Vandals (19-10) 25-21, 26-24 and 25-14 in front of a crowd of 4,462 in the Western Athletic Conference tournament semifinal match at the Stan Sheriff Center Friday, advancing to its 11th-straight WAC Tournament championship match.

 

Aneli Cubi-Otineru led the charge for UH, hitting .350 with 11 kills, four aces and four digs. Jamie Houston added 11 kills and five blocks while Nickie Thomas chimed in five blocks and four kills. Kanani Danielson had seven kills and 10 digs while Amber Kaufman added five kills and three aces. Stephanie Brandt posted 32 assists and eight digs with Tara Hittle adding seven digs.

 

Cubi-Otineru had three-straight aces in an early 5-0 run that put the Rainbow Wahine up 7-2 to start the first set. Idaho responded with a couple of four-point runs to tie the score at 11-11. The Vandals continued to play tough as a three-point spurt capped a 12-5 run that put them ahead 15-13. But Hawai`i again took charge on the serve of Cubi-Otineru, as her fourth ace of the set started a 9-3 run that led the Rainbow Wahine to a 25-21 set one victory.

 

Hawai`i jumped ahead early in the second set, using a 6-1 run to go ahead 11-5. Idaho responded, using a 6-1 run of its own to pull within a point at 13-12. The Rainbow Wahine worked their way to a 20-16 lead later in the set, but the Vandals used a 4-1 run right after to pull within a point at 21-20. UH worked its way to set point at 24-22, only to see Idaho tie it up with consecutive points. But Danielson put away a timely kill before a Vandal error ended the set, 26-24.

 

Kaufman served Hawai`i on an 11-0 run early in the third to get UH out to a commanding 13-1 advantage. From there, the Rainbow Wahine put it in cruise control, closing out the match with a 25-14 win in the third set.

 

Hawai`i will face top-seeded New Mexico State in the championship match on Sunday, Nov. 21, at 3 p.m. The two teams split the season series with both teams winning on the road in three-set sweeps.