Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Dan Richards The Rainbow Wahine celebrate after scoring a point on a Tara Hittle kill during the second game of the Wahine's victory over the University of Louisville on Sunday evening.

          It has taken a couple of weeks, a couple of losses and a lot of settling in, but the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team may have finally found their groove. After being pushed to the brink in a five-game win over the Wichita State Shockers, the Rainbow Wahine looked a little more like the No. 16 team in the nation in a four-game victory over the No. 19 Santa Clara Broncos. The University of Hawai‘i match against Santa Clara was considered to be the tournament championship after the ‘Bows swept the Eagles of Eastern Washington in three games on Thursday and outlasted Wichita St. on Friday.
          An enthusiastic crowd of 4,619 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Rainbow Wahine battle through numerous rallies to improve their record to 6-3 and win the Waikīkī Beach Mariott Volleyball Challenge championship 28-30, 30-20, 30-28, 30-27 over the Santa Clara Broncos.
          "Even when we're down, we stay together as a team," UH setter Stephanie Brandt said. "We just encourage each other and give each other the confidence to make the plays with no second-guessing."
          Santa Clara grabbed the lead first, taking an early 7-3 edge before UH tied it up at 15-15. The ‘Bows then made their push using a service ace by UH sophomore hitter Amber Kaufman and a kill by UH captain Tara Hittle to take the lead at 20-19. Santa Clara responded immediately with a 7-1 run before UH held back three Bronco game points. A Santa Clara block over UH sophomore hitter Aneli Cubi-Otineru propelled the Broncos to the 30-28 victory.
          "When we play and when we pass, we could be a top team," junior hitter Jamie Houston said. "But when we don't, things just fall apart. But we learned how to communicate as a team."
          With steady passing from Brandt and Hittle, the Rainbow Wahine showed improvement in Game 2, using a 6-0 service run from UH libero Jayme Lee to take a commanding 19-11 lead. Hawai‘i didn't let the Broncos get any closer. Kaufman's sixth kill of the night gave the Rainbow Wahine the 30-20 win.

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