LAS VEGAS — In a city known for sports gambling, the Hawaii women’s volleyball team going five sets on Tuesday was a lock.
The outcome, however, wasn’t what the Rainbow Wahine were used to this season. For only the second time in an astounding six five-set matches played already, the Rainbow Wahine came up on the short end of a 25-15, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-13 loss to UNLV.
A record crowd of 3,117 fans at Cox Pavilion — the largest ever to witness a UNLV home match — erupted when Hawaii’s Caylen Alexander had her shot blocked to the ground on the Rebels’ third match point.
Hawaii trailed by scores of 8-4 and 13-8 in the fifth set and were a point away from deuce after a Kate Lang kill, but UNLV’s block came through at the end to snap a four-game winning streak for UH (6-2).
The Rebels (6-2) outblocked Hawaii 13-3 and it was the main part of the match Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow wanted to talk about when it was over.
“Just being disciplined on what you’re supposed to do,” Ah Mow said. “How many times did we get a block up on the right side? If the ball is to the pin then get to the pin. We didn’t stop that side.”
UNLV middle blocker Jordyn Freeman led a balanced attack of four Rebels in double figures with 13 kills and pin hitters Gabrielle Arretche-Ramos and Chloe Thomas had 12 each. The Rebels hit .336 as a team, besting the previous best mark Hawaii had allowed by 50 points.
UH had such a hard time blocking on the outside that Ah Mow decided to use freshman Adrianna Arquette for the first time this season.
Arquette made her UH debut after Hawaii was blown out by nine points in the third set and played the rest of the way at all six rotations.
“I put her in for ball control,” Ah Mow said. “She gets good block touches at practices. She got touches. First time she comes in and she sets the block and touches it, slows it down, and our middle back is all hyper and we can’t control it.”
UNLV improved to 4-0 in five-set matches after winning the first three games of the season in five sets.
Alexander, who had a career-high 38 kills in Saturday’s win over Texas State, finished with a match-high 23 to start UH’s first road trip of the season that continues with matches at No. 8 Texas on Friday and No. 20 Baylor on Saturday.
Alexander also had 10 digs for her seventh double-double this year and contributed three aces.
“We talked about it before we left that this was going to be our first game where there are actually fans who were going to root against us and not cheering for us and helping us climb back into games when we are down,” Alexander said. “I think it was just different this time because this was my first time traveling with such a new squad, and it’s kind of weird being on the other side where you have to be the one helping to prepare other people on the team because this is such a young squad.”
That included Arquette, the reigning Star-Advertiser All-State Player of the Year from Kamehameha who at times has been summoned to sit by associate coach Kaleo Baxter on the bench, but had yet to be put into a match.
“I was so excited for her. I think she came out and did exactly her job,” Alexander said. “She gave us some great defensive momentum and great serving momentum and she was a nice, calm presence on the court.”
Freshman middle blocker Miliana Sylvester added a career-high 15 kills in 22 swings and hit .636 with one error to give UH a second offensive presence alongside Alexander.
Sophomore Tali Hakas added 10 kills and nine digs and senior Tayli Ikenaga had a match-high 13 digs, surpassing 1,000 in her carer.
UNLV beat Hawaii for the first time in program history and the attendance mark shattered the previous record, more than doubling the 1,318 fans that attended a Utah State game in 2013.
Hawaii hadn’t played at UNLV since 1997.
“It’s a big moment for Vegas volleyball as a whole and also for the ninth-island community to know that they do have a really great program here that they can get behind,” UNLV coach Malia Shoji said. “We went out (to Hawaii) in the spring and lost in five and our team has held on to that. That kind of match in the spring set the tone for all of the hard work in the summer and to see us on the other side is really special.”
