Chaminade women’s volleyball falls to Dixie State and Point Loma
The Lady Swords were defeated by Dixie State and Point Loma
November 16, 2015
11 years.
That is how long it has been since the Chaminade Lady Swords have been out of the NCAA regionals. With the two losses suffered this weekend against the top two teams in the PacWest Conference, that streak will likely continue into the 2016 season.
The team was playing with seven athletes suspended due to undisclosed reasons, leaving only eight players dressed up for the matches, two of whom (Ku’lei Lynch and Terezie Cernosek) did not even go on the road to play at the Bay Area schools when Chaminade played there earlier this month.
With half of its roster available this weekend, the Lady Swords lost to conference-leading Dixie State in a sweep 25-23, 25-16, 25-23. The next night, the Lady Swords then lost to the PacWest’s No. 2 team, Point Loma, 24-26, 25-10, 25-19, 25-19.
After this weekend, CUH’s record is now 17-9 overall and 10-8 in the PacWest.
Over the weekend, in the two matches, senior outside hitter Keani Passi led the team with a combined 53 kills while junior outside hitter Cassie Rushlow had 20 total kills. Passi’s 28 kills against Point Loma were a school record in the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008).
For her efforts, Passi was named PacWest Player of the Week for the second straight week this time she had to share the honor with Academy of Art’s Rachael Smith.
Passi was without her fellow starters senior outside hitter Kim Spring, freshman middle Daisia LaBrie, senior hitter Suncica Bakic, and senior middle Reigna Johnson.
CUH coach Kahala Kabalis-Hoke declined to comment on the suspended players.
Spring is second on the team in kills, LaBrie is third, and Bakic is fifth. LaBrie leads the team in blocks.
Without these players, the Swords serve/receive was outdone by the Dixie State Red Storm’s 12 aces, the season high for Chaminade opponents. However, the Swords were able to outkill Dixie State 43-33. Point Loma managed 54 kills against the Lady Swords 48.
“I don’t think we did anything terrible in other sets,” said head coach Kahala Kabalis-Hoke. “I just think that they did better job of picking up on our key players and who they’re going to, but I have nothing bad to say about my team tonight.”
Senior night is up next for the Lady Swords against BYU-Hawaii on Friday, Nov. 20, at McCabe Gym. The players being honored are Bakic, Passi, Johnson, and libero Brenda Walker.
