HONOLULU, Hawai'i — The Pepperdine women's volleyball team nearly pulled off the reverse sweep, yet the Waves fell 3-2 (16-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 9-15) to Hawai'i in Honolulu on Saturday night.
Despite a career night for Birdie Hendrickson, who had a 25-kill, 10-dig double-double, the Waves (1-3) ran out of gas against the Rainbow Wahine (3-1) in the fifth set. Hendrickson tied her previous career high with 14 kills less than 24 hours prior against Hawai'i, but on Saturday, she notched 20 kills in the latter three sets alone. Grace Chillingworth chipped in a 16-kill, 19-dig double-double of her own, while Brynne McGhie notched her first double-double of the season with a team-high 31 assists and 14 digs.
Hawai'i out-hit Pepperdine by connecting on .259 of its swings compared to the Waves' .249 clip, plus the Rainbow Wahine defense was active throughout, as Tayli Ikenaga's 33 digs highlighted Hawai'i's five players with double-figure digs. As a team, Hawai'i mustered 99 digs to Pepperdine's 83, plus the hosts were more accurate behind the service line.
For the first time all season, Hawai'i struck first. In set one, the Rainbow Wahine used a 6-0 run to take a 7-1 lead and prompt the Pepperdine sideline to call timeout.
The hosts led 10-4, yet Pepperdine rallied back in the match. Coming off the best game of her young collegiate career, freshman Chloe Pravednikov snapped the scoring drought with her first kill of the night. With Trinity Stanger back to serve, the Waves rattled off a 6-0 run of their own — complete with a Stanger ace, a big block from Kenadie Patterson and Hendrickson, then a kill from Maggie Beauer to tie the score at 10-all. However, the score was tied just once more (at 11-all) during the first set, as the Rainbow Wahine won the first set 25-16.
In a set that featured 13 ties and six lead changes, both teams see-sawed until Hawai'i went on a 4-0 run after the media timeout to take an 18-15 lead. That three-point cushion was all the Rainbow Wahine needed. Although the Waves fought off four set points and appeared to fight off a fifth, Hawai'i eventually prevailed by winning the second set 25-22.
Hawai'i bolted out to a 9-5 lead in the third set. However, Pepperdine regrouped, went on a 4-0 run to tie the match and eventually took an 11-10 lead off Beauer's fourth kill of the night. As both teams see-sawed, Hendrickson took over on offense by notching 10 kills in the third set alone to help the Waves keep pace. The graduate senior was the first Wave to reach double-figure kills to give Pepperdine a 13-12 lead, then an ace from Rosemary Archer and a kill from Ella Piskorz put the Waves in front 15-12 at the media timeout.
From there, the Waves kept the Rainbow Wahine at arm's length. Aided by swings from Chillingworth, Pravednikov and Hendrickson, Pepperdine maintained a three-point lead until an ace from Hawai'i's Caylen Alexander pulled the hosts within one at 19-18. But another late 3-0 Pepperdine run and three swings from Hendrickson to close out the set helped the Waves prevail 25-22 to extend the match.
Spurred by Hendrickson — who didn't cool off in the fourth set — the Waves clawed back from an early three-point deficit in another close set. Tied at 14, Hendrickson went on a personal 3-0 run to put the Waves in front for good and force Hawai'i to call timeout. Pepperdine made the score 20-16 off a block from Piskorz and Beauer, then the Waves led by as many as five points late in the set en route to winning the fourth set 25-21.
For the second time in less than 24 hours, the two teams needed a fifth set to decide the outcome. Unlike Friday night's fifth set, which saw Pepperdine take an early lead and maintain it for a five-set victory, Saturday's fifth set was much closer. Hendrickson's 25th kill tied the score at eight, yet Hawai'i closed the match on a 7-1 run to avenge Friday's defeat.
Caylen Alexander matched Hendrickson with 25 kills, plus she had 16 digs, four blocks and two timely service aces for the Rainbow Wahine. Stella Adeyemi notched a career-high 13 kills, plus Jacyn Bamis finished with 11 kills, a team-high five blocks, three digs and an ace.
NEXT UP
Pepperdine returns to Malibu to face #5 Stanford in Firestone Fieldhouse on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. Season tickets are now available for all fall sports, including women's volleyball. Additionally, Pepperdine is offering a Fall All-Sport Pass, which grants admission to all fall home sports including women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's water polo - a $525 retail value for just $150. Learn more and access those exclusive season ticket offers here: gowav.es/peppszntix2425.
FOLLOW
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