Chaminade is back after a lukewarm start to 2025, securing three PacWest road victories to gain Team of the Week honors. Hawai`i Hilo went 2-0 in mainland matches, led in part by Isabella Freeman's 10 total blocks and 19 kills. Menlo's Fuka Kikuchi helped the Oaks win a pair of matches with double-doubles in each.

2025 Results/Schedule
2025 Standings
2025 Statistics
2025 AVCA National Poll
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Menlo's Fuka Kikuchi, Jr., OH, 5-9, Iruma, Japan                                                
Menlo's Fuka Kikuchi helped the Oaks to a pair of non-conference wins over PacWest teams with a 3-0 win over Jessup and a 3-1 victory over Dominican. She had a double-double in each, with 14 kills and 12 digs against the Warriors and 13 kills and 12 digs against the Penguins. She averaged 3.86 kills per set, 3.43 digs per set and added three aces and two blocks. The Salt Lake CC transfer ranks fifth in the PacWest in points per set (3.79) and seventh in kills per set (3.26).

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK: Hawai`i Hilo's Isabella Freeman, So., MB, 6-3, Lehi, Utah                            
Hawai`i Hilo's Isabella Freeman was terrific on offense and defense as the Vulcans took a pair of southern California road contests. In a PacWest counter against Biola, the Utah native had a pair of solo blocks and hit .688 with 11 kills and no errors. In a non-conference win over Concordia, the third-year Vulcan starter had six blocks and eight kills in the 3-1 win. In the two matches, Freeman had just one attack error (.514 hitting percentage) and averaged 1.25 blocks per set. Freeman led the PacWest in 2024 with 83 total blocks. 
 
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Chaminade Silverswords                                                                                            
Chaminade looks like the Silverswords of old again, reeling off three consecutive road victories this past week at Westmont (3-1), Azusa Pacific (3-0) and Vanguard (3-1). After a 3-7 non-conference start, the defending PacWest champs have now won six straight matches, with two of those counting in the PacWest standings to improve to 9-7 overall. Additionally, the Silverswords have won 29 straight PacWest matches, dating back to October of 2023. The toughest encounter may have been in Costa Mesa, where the Silverswords snapped Vanguard's seven-match win streak with a marathon 26-24, 14-25, 27-25, 29-27 victory. The match in Santa Barbara was a barn burner as well, with CUH holding off the Warriors with a 25-20, 28-26, 24-26, 27-25 extra time win. 

PACWEST NEWS AND NOTES: Fresno Pacific had just one match last week, a 3-2 battle with Jessup to remain unbeaten on the season at 9-0. Madelyn Feramisco had 19 kills and 18 digs to lead the Sunbirds...Point Loma won its seventh and eighth straight matches with sweeps of Concordia and Hawaii Pacific. Jill Leslie led the Sea Lion defense with four blocks in each match...In Menlo's two wins, Janet Moala averaged 1.43 blocks per set, including six against Jessup...In Hilo's pair of wins, Emerson Reinke totaled 79 assists (9.87 per set) and became Hilo's all-time assist leader in the process with 2,861...Concordia's Emma Wegleitner had six aces in their loss to Hawai`i Hilo...Eight of the 13 teams in the PacWest have winning records as teams launch into conference play. Those teams are Fresno Pacific (9-0), Point Loma (10-1), Vanguard (9-2), Hawaii Hilo (10-5), Biola (8-4), Chaminade (9-7), Concordia (6-5) and Westmont (6-5). 

THIS WEEK IN THE PACWEST: 15 matches are on the slate this week, with nine of them counting in the PacWest standings. That starts tonight (Monday) with Hawaii Hilo at Point Loma, Chaminade at Concordia and Hawaii Pacific at Westmont. Fresno Pacific puts its unbeaten streak on the line on Tuesday at Dominican, and on Saturday Biola is at Vanguard. Also on Saturday excpect a packed house in Hilo when Chaminade travels to the Big Island to take on the Vulcans.  To see the complete schedule, click here.