Rainbow Wahine Fall to UCLA in Five-Set Battle to Close Lucky Aces Invitational

LAS VEGAS — Hawai‘i came within two points of closing its non-conference schedule with a win over UCLA, but the Bruins rallied late to hand the Rainbow Wahine an 18-16 fifth-set loss Sunday at Orleans Arena.

Hawai‘i (8-3) fell 25-19, 22-25, 25-20, 17-25, 16-18 in the 80th meeting between the programs. The marathon match featured 37 ties and 17 lead changes.

Neither side could seize control for long. Hawai‘i took the opening set, UCLA answered in the second, and the Rainbow Wahine reclaimed the advantage with a third-set win. The Bruins responded again in the fourth, sending the longtime rivals into a fifth set that ultimately came down to the final few points.

Fifth-Set Finish

Hawai‘i carried an 8-4 lead into the changeover and later went up 14-11, seemingly putting the match away on the next rally. The Rainbow Wahine began to celebrate, only for a net violation to overturn what appeared to be the match-winning point and keep UCLA alive.

The Bruins took advantage of the second chance, fighting off three match points and eventually moving ahead, 15-14. Panna Ratkai answered with a kill to extend the match, but UCLA ultimately completed the comeback, 18-16.

Miliana Sylvester said the Rainbow Wahine had to quickly regroup after the call.

“The moment we knew that we were still playing, we just dialed back in on what rotation we’re in and how we can move forward.”

Sylvester Leads at the Net

Sylvester turned in one of her strongest performances of the season, finishing with 16 kills on .344 hitting along with seven blocks. Ratkai led Hawai‘i with 19 kills and added 10 digs, while Tali Hakas posted 14 kills. Setter Adrianna Arquette dished out 47 assists and Victoria Leyva anchored the back row with 23 digs.

UCLA’s Maggie Li led all players with 20 kills, while the Bruins held a 15-10 advantage in team blocks.

Despite the loss, head coach Joshua Walker saw progress, particularly with Hawai‘i’s blocking, while acknowledging the Rainbow Wahine didn’t play their cleanest volleyball.

“We still somehow had a chance at the end to win it,” Walker said. “You see a lot of good takeaways from the non-conference segment.”

Up Next

Hawai‘i now turns its attention to Mountain West play. The Rainbow Wahine return home to open conference action with back-to-back matches against New Mexico on Friday and Saturday at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.