Hawai`i Hilo pulled off a five-set win in a battle of 1-loss teams on the Big Island, topping Azusa Pacific to earn Team of the Week. Defender Tani Hoke's defense was a big part of UHH's two wins over SoCal teams, while Chaminade's Grace Talpash averaged 11 assists per set to lead the Silverswords to two more wins.

2024 Results/Schedule
2024 Standings
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2024 AVCA National Poll
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Chaminade's Grace Talpash, S, Grad., 5-6, Temecula, Calif.                                            
Chaminade's Grace Talpash kept her squads offense running like a well oiled machine in leading the Silverswords to a pair of victories over Azusa Pacific and Westmont. The graduate transfer had 49 assists in a four-set win over the Cougars and had 28 more in a sweep of Westmont. That gave her 77 assists for the week, an average of 11 per set. The 49 assists was a season best. She also had 15 digs, nine kills and a pair of service aces. Prior to arriving on Oahu last year, Talpash played three seasons at Oklahoma and one at the Univ. of San Francisco. 

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Hawai`i Hilo's Tani Hoke, L, Sr., 5-3, Kailua, Hawai`i                                                    
Hawai`i Hilo's Tani Hoke kept the ball in play 27 times during the Vulcans' five-set victory over Azusa Pacific on Thursday in Hilo. That was a season best for the fifth-year senior, and her team needed every one of them after trailing two sets to one. The Oahu native added 15 digs in a three-set win over Biola on Saturday night, giving her 42 total and an average of 5.25 digs per set. Hoke, who averages 4.32 digs per set on the season, is the Vulcan all-time leader in digs with 1,845 and counting. A five-year starter, Hoke as a Second Team All-PacWest selection in 2023.
 
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Hawai`i Hilo Vulcans                                                                                                                
The PacWest Team of the Week is Hawai`i Hilo, after the Vulcans topped a pair of SoCal teams at home last week. On Thursday, in front of 543 loud Vulcan fans, UHH rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Azusa Pacific in five sets. Samara Cruz provided a good chunk of the offense with 19 kills and .300 hitting percentage, while Tani Hoke's 27 digs was a season high. On Saturday versus Biola, Hilo rolled to the straight sets win paced by Taylor Tullo's 10 kills and Hoke's 15 digs. The Vulcans have now won seven straight matches to improve to 12-6 overall and to 7-1 in the PacWest standings. 

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: Point Loma remained unbeaten with road wins over Academy of Art and Jessup. The Sea Lions dropped the first set to ART U 28-26 before righting the ship and rolling to a 3-1 win. Abigail Nua had 14 kills, eight digs and four block assists. Against the Warriors, Genevieve Hara paced the offense with 10 kills, four block assists and a .375 hitting percentage. The Sea Lions are now 14-0 overall and 8-0 in the PacWest...Fresno Pacific was 2-0 on the week with sweeps of Dominican and Menlo. Against the Penguins, FPU outlasted their opponent 29-27 in the first set and went on to the win behind Claire Corippo's 14 kills and Devyn Castaneda's 15 digs. Versus the Oaks, Makayla Smith led the way with 10 kills. The Sunbirds are now 10-5 overall and 6-2 in conference...Concordia went 2-1 behind 30 total kills from Kennedy Farley and 60 digs in three matches from Delaney Risse (5.0 digs per set)...Jessup provided CUI's lone loss on the week during a thrilling 5-setter on Saturday. Madalyn Miller had 20 kills against the Golden Eagles and Neena Dimas added 21 digs, including three key digs in the fifth set. The Warriors earned the win despite dropping the first set, 25-9...Biola swept Hawai`i Pacific in three sets before falling to Hawai`i Hilo in three...In Azusa Pacific's 3-2 loss to the Vulcans, Sarah Wilson had a double-double with 18 kills and 12 digs. Wilson had 13 more kills against Chaminade and Mia Medrano totaled 34 digs in the two matches. The Cougars were short handed against CUH, with only seven players available for action...Hannah Torres had 23 kills and hit .391 as Menlo defeated Vangard in four sets...Academy of Art also topped the Lions in four sets with Katharine Von Kraut and Kerrigan Habing contributing 13 kills each...Westmont stopped Hawai`i Pacific (3-1) behind Sara Krueger's big game of 17 kills, 7 block assists and a .375 hitting percentage...In addition to Grace Talpash's Player of the Week numbers (see above), CUH's Letizia Cammillucci had 30 kills, 18 digs and 11 total service aces in their two matches. The graduate student and San Jose State transfer had 21 kills against Azusa Pacific, hitting .385. She now leads the PacWest in aces with 37 (0.62 per set). 

THIS WEEK IN THE PACWEST: A dozen matches fill the slate this week in PacWest volleyball action. It begins today (Monday) with Vanguard at Fresno Pacific and Hawai`i Pacific at Hawai`i Hilo. Wednesday finds Menlo at Concordia and Thursday features Westmont at Vanguard while Point Loma takes its unbeaten record to Biola. On Saturday, Jessup is at Dominican, Biola at Concordia, Westmont at Fresno Pacific, Academy of Art is at Menlo and a very large PacWest and island match-up features Hawai`i Hilo at Chaminade.