Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of Chaminade University
HONOLULU – After two-and-a-half decades of chasing the Pacific West Conference elites, the Chaminade University women’s volleyball team found themselves during much of the 2022 calendar year living in the proverbial penthouse.
Now the hunter has become the hunted.
The Silverswords, who haven’t been addressed as the “Defending PacWest Champions” since 1997, finally return to the court as they look to prove that they are no one-hit wonder.
Chaminade opens the season Friday in the Hawai’i/Alaska Challenge, part of a joint round-robin tournament at both McCabe Gymnasium and the Hawai’i Pacific University Shark Tank.
The ‘Swords face the University of Alaska at 7 p.m. The match will be preceded by the Nanooks squaring off against the University of Hawai’i Hilo at 1 p.m. The Challenge concludes Saturday with Chaminade facing the University of Alaska Anchorage at 3 p.m. followed by a rematch against Alaska at 7:30 p.m.
Four starters return, all of whom were instrumental in helping the Silverswords capture just the second conference championship in program history.
The Team
Reigning PacWest Player of the Year Brooklen Pe’a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS) returns for her final season after putting down 2.95 kills per set. She’s joined by middle blocker and fellow senior Lataisia Saulala (Morgan Hill, Calif./Oakwood) and outside hitter Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS), both of whom earned all-conference second team honors a year ago.
And perhaps the biggest component which will help the ‘Swords be a strong contender to repeat is Alexia Byrnes (Chicago/Youngstown State/Saint Francis HS), last year’s PacWest Setter and Newcomer of the Year.
While the team lost several key members from last year, the addition of transfers Sasha Colombo (Milan, Italy/Colorado State/Liceo Scientifico Giordano Bruno HS) and Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungssportzentrum Berlin HS) should provide an immediate impact. Colombo was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference selection at Division I Colorado State while Schilling earned All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors last season with the Nanooks.
The biggest vacancy will be at the all-important libero spot, vacated by the departed Anna Dalla Vecchia, who last year shattered the school’s single-season digs record with 631. There are several candidates in the mix including returnee Elli Tsukano (Austin, Texas/James Bowie) and newcomers Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai’i/Tyler College/King Kekaulike HS) and Kanoelehua Misipeka (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Liberty North, Mo., HS).
Brooklen Pe’a’s twin sister, Kaybrie Pe’a (Woods Cross, Utah/Youngstown State/Bountiful HS), looks to make an impact after two injury-plagued years while Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) and freshman Ajack Malual (Trento, Italy/Tambosi ETI) add depth to the Silverswords attack corps. Transfer Mahala Ka’apuni (Hilo, Hawai’i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) will sit out this season as a redshirt.
Alecza Abary (Fontana, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga HS) and freshman Allexis Iramina (Honolulu/Moanalua) provide relief at the setter spot.
The Schedule
It is daunting. Alaska won 18 matches in 2021, its most since 2008 while Alaska Anchorage is a traditional West Region power. Following this weekend’s Alaska series, the ‘Swords will participate in the Magic Island Hawai’i Classic at the Hawai’i Convention Center which will feature two courts in the same ballroom with simultaneous matches on each court.
Heading the tournament is national power Cal State San Bernardino, which has qualified for the NCAA postseason the past 21 consecutive seasons along with eight West Region titles. The only non-West Region squad is Lewis University from Illinois, which has touted 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament berths each of the last 15 championship seasons.
Chaminade plays on the road for the first time in the Cal State Los Angeles Invitational in the first weekend of September, which includes a rematch against Central Washington, which bounced the Silverswords out of the postseason last December.
The Silverswords open defense of their PacWest title on Sept. 8 at HPU and their conference home opener will be Sept. 16 against Academy of Art. Senior Night will be on Wednesday, Nov. 2 against the Sharks.
The NCAA postseason is slated to begin on Nov. 17.
