If UC Davis was looking for a repeat, Olivia Magill and Tai Manu-Olevao had other ideas.
If UC Davis was looking for a repeat, Olivia Magill and Tai Manu-Olevao had other ideas.
Magill delivered 10 kills on only 13 swings Friday night and the University of Hawaii swept the Aggies 25-18, 25-18, 26-24 to begin Big West Conference volleyball play in Davis, Calif.
Manu-Olevao made far more errors in posting 13 kills, but she had a pair of crucial ones late in the match to help the No. 25 Rainbow Wahine (9-3, 1-0) avoid a fourth set. The Aggies (5-9, 0-1) led 24-23 until two straight kills by Manu-Olevao, and UH secured victory in its first road match of the year when Magill and Nikki Taylor (nine kills) blocked Kaylin Squyres.
UH lost to Davis last year on the road in five sets in what was a program-defining victory for the Aggies. The Wahine brought nine new players to The Pavilion this year, including Magill, a junior middle blocker.
Hawaii hit a healthy .340 to offset shaky serving numbers (three aces, nine service errors). Kalei Greeley notched eight kills and Kalei Adolpho added five kills and six blocks. Taylor Higgins registered 41 assists.
Davis’ Squyres collected 13 kills.
On Saturday, the Wahine visit UC Riverside, a program against which they are 15-0 all-time.