Ashley Kastl left quite a mark on Cal Davis. Ashley Kastl left quite a mark on Cal Davis. ADVERTISING Kastl slammed 11 kills — including a crowd-pleasing facial — as the ninth-ranked University of Hawaii volleyball team dug in defensively
Ashley Kastl left quite a mark on Cal Davis.
Kastl slammed 11 kills — including a crowd-pleasing facial — as the ninth-ranked University of Hawaii volleyball team dug in defensively and rebounded from a slow start Thursday night for a 23-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-16 victory before 5,599 fans at Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.
Attacking double blocks and stroking balls into the deep corners, Kastl hit a robust .455 to go along with the play of the night: a smash into the back row that ricocheted off of the face of one helpless Aggies defender and out of play, drawing a fist pump from the junior outside hitter.
“It feels great,” said Kastl, who added a match-high 17 digs. “You don’t want to be disrespectful, but there’s nothing much you can do but let out a great big roar.”
Junior outside hitter Emily Hartong didn’t enjoy one her best matches of the year, but the league’s leading hitter led the way with 18 kills on 49 swings as the Rainbow Wahine (16-2, 9-0 Big West) won their 64th consecutive conference match.
Kastl, a transfer from Arizona State, stepped up again in the absence of suspended outside hitter Jane Croson, equaling a season high in kills. She also put down 11 on Oct. 5 at Cal Poly, the first of four matches that Croson has now missed.
Setter Mita Uiato contributed a season-high 50 assists in the first meeting between the two schools.
“Faster sets help me a lot,” Kastl said.
Hawaii also received another strong effort from freshman outside hitter Tai Manu-Olevao (nine kills, .348).
Halfway through the league season, the Rainbow Washine are distancing themselves from the field as they look for their first Big West title, holding a 3 1/2-game lead with seven teams jumbled in the middle.
“We just have to stay focused and get better each night,” Kastl said.
Devon Damelio compiled 13 kills for Cal Davis (9-14, 4-4), which overcame five service errors to grab a 1-0 lead and committed 14 in all. The Aggies fell into a three-way tie for sixth place but are still only a game out of second.
Hawaii hit only .171 in dropping the first set for the second straight match, but it cleared .350 in each of the last three sets, settling at .341.
Coach Dave Shoji earned career win No. 1,092, leaving him 15 victories shy of becoming the all-time winningest coach in NCAA history.
“Cal Davis put us in some difficult positions, but we didn’t panic, made some adjustments and played well,” Shoji said.
One of those adjustments was juggling his lineup at middle blocker. Stephanie Haggins subbed for Kalie Adolpho in Game 2 and provided a spark.
“I thought Stephanie played well,” Shoji said.
His team had to fight back in the third set. Manu-Olevao, likely destined for a redshirt year before Croson’s suspension, helped UH stay within striking distance. The Bows finally reeled in Cal Davis at 18-18, and two Hartong kills and a Jade Vorster block punctuated a 4-0 game-ending run.
The Rainbow Wahine, who held the advantage in blocks (11-7) and digs (59-47), limited the Aggies to .071 hitting in the deciding set.
Adolpho (.375) finished with nine kills and five block assists, and Vorster (.545) had seven kills. Liberos Ali Longo and Emily Maeda added 14 digs and four aces, respectfully.
UH, the league’s top-hitting team, hosts Pacific (16-5, 4-4), the Big West’s best at holding opposing hitters in check, at 7 p.m. Saturday (Oceanic pay-per-view, Ch. 255).
