Rainbow Wahine down Loyola Marymount in 5-set nail-biter

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii at Manoa held off Loyola Marymount in a five-set nail-biter at the Bankoh Arena Stan Shieff Center Friday.

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The ‘Bows, off the heels of their win Thursday against Utah Tech, handed the LMU Lions their first loss of the season on the second night of the Outrigger Invitational,

UH seemed to run away with the first two sets, 25-10 and 25-18, catching LMU in a slow start.

However, the Lions came alive in set three as the ‘Bows fought for control, with the two teams tying 15 times throughout the set before LMU took it 25-22.

The ‘Bows nearly had Aloha ball in the hard-fought fourth set, tying 13 times, but fell 28-26.

In the end, the Rainbow Wahine were the first to 15. At one point, the ‘Bows led 12-6 before LMU brought the match within three after LMU went on a three-point run but ended the night on a service error. Final set score: 15-11.

Victoria Leyva had a career-high of 29 digs, five assists and one ace.

She credited her team for lining up the blocks.

“A lot came from my team, making sure the block was lined up good,” Leyva said. “We pretty much knew what LMU was going to be running. I was good at seeing the ball.”

First-year head coach Joshua Walker said Thursday the ‘Bows needed to focus on serving and passing to get LMU out of system.

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“They were setting up in a good spot. [Leyva] was doing a great job,” he said.

Senior Panna Ratkai had 21 kills on 54 swings and a double-double with 10 digs and three aces, and her leadership on the court helped the ‘Bows secure the win.

“It’s huge. It’s about being here and doing it for the fans. We had to find a way to get her in the front row,” said first-year head coach Joshua Walker.

Walker said he was quite relieved after the match and credited the team for not panicking.

“It’s hard. Really hard to win, especially when things are going well and shifts. Credit to them for not panicking and getting too tense, and building the lead and finding a way to stick it out,” Walker said.

Leyva said a win like this means they can keep pushing during long, hard-fought matches.

“We can keep pushing. Making sure we’re working, especially in moments where we feel we’re mentally fatigued,” she said.

Up next, the ‘Bows face UC San Diego on Sunday. Coverage begins on K5 at 4:30 p.m.

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