Hapless Holy Names provided the University of Hawaii at Hilo with the perfect opportunity to connect.
Kyndra Trevino-Scott smacked 12 kills on .467 hitting Thursday night and the Vulcans broke through on the road, sweeping the winless Hawks 25-18, 25-16, 25-21 in Oakland, Calif.
The Vulcans (4-5, 3-3 Pacific West Conference) snapped a three-match losing streak, and their first league road victory of the season matched their total from last season.
“We played good enough to win. It’s good to get a win on the road,” UH-Hilo coach Tino Reyes said. “We’re building some good habits.”
One of those was a newfound synergy between setter Stacey Witt and Trevino-Scott, a sophomore middle blocker.
In a performance reminiscent of the torrid start to her freshman season — when she bonded quickly with Sienna Davis — Trevino-Scott made just two errors on 21 swings.
She provided the good complement to outside hitter Marley Strand-Nicolaisen (13 kills, five errors, 35 attempts).
Witt (41 assists) has received the balance of playing time at setter, while Davis, the full-time setter last season, didn’t play Thursday.
“Kyndra and Stacey are starting to build a connection,” Reyes said. “One of the bad things about Stacey setting is we weren’t getting the ball to Kyndra enough.”
Outside hitter Callie Aberle tallied eight kills and 17 digs, Morgan Lees added eight kills and 14 digs and Shelby Harguess had six kills as the Vulcans hit .228 and faced little resistance against the PacWest cellar-dwellers.
“We still have our lapses,” Reyes said. “It’s a process.”
Melissa Munley finished with eight kills for Holy Names (0-13, 0-7), which hit. 133.
The Vulcans continue their six-match trip at 4 p.m. Saturday against Fresno Pacific (7-6, 1-3).
Soccer
Despite a flurry of chances, the University of Hawaii couldn’t capitalize after Kama Pascua’s first-half goal, losing 2-1 to Cal State Fullerton in the Big West opener at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex on Oahu.
The Rainbow Wahine (5-6-0, 0-1-0) put half of their 20 shots on frame in falling to just 2-5 at home.
“I thought we had the run of play for most of the first half,” UH coach Michelle Nagamine said on the OCSports broadcast. “Second half, we created a lot of opportunities, but we just couldn’t get on the end of the ball.”
“Back to the drawing board, I guess.”
In the 13th minute, Pascua took a slot pass from sister Krystal Pascua inside the box and netted her fourth goal of the season, tying for the team lead.
Rebecca Wilson answered with two goals off set pieces to lift the Titans (3-7-2, 1-0), who finished with 10 shots.
“This is the best 2-2-7 team you’re going to find in the country,” Nagamine said, pointing to Fullerton’s five overtime losses this season.
Wilson headed in a corner kick in the first half. She used her head again to make sure the Titans avoided their eighth OT, tallying the go-ahead goal on a second-half free kick.
UH hosts UC Riverside at 5 p.m. Sunday.