FULLERTON – Hope International women's volleyball utilized a balanced attack and a solid block to defeat Westcliff in straight sets on Wednesday evening inside Darling Pavilion.
The Royals hit .258 overall and held the Warriors to -.045 efficiency in the 25-19, 25-11, 25-16 triumph. Westcliff hosted the match, and it is therefore is considered a road match for the Royals.
HIU avenged a three-set loss to Westcliff in the season opener on August 15.
Manaia Mamea led the Royals with nine kills, while Olivia Samaniego and Genevieve Kertz each hit .400 or better with eight kills. Sabrina Galassi added seven kills while swinging at a .316 clip, and Lole Mamea chipped in six kills.
Galassi topped HIU with 13 digs and Kaylani Moncada had 12. Rita Nua dished out 32 assists and fired a match-high three service aces.
The Royals outperformed the Warriors in total aces (9-1) and kills (40-19).
The first set was tight, as both teams battled through six ties, the final time at 16-16. HIU embarked on a pivotal 5-0 run to take a 21-16 lead. Samaniego was key during the run, producing two kills while assisting on a pair of blocks with Nua and Manaia Mamea. Lole Mamea also notched a block solo during the spurt.
HIU scored the final three points to take the 25-19 victory, getting a kill from Galassi and two Kertz blocks to polish off the set.
In set two, the Royals sped out to a 6-1 lead, but the Warriors battled back with four straight points to pull within 8-7. But Mamaia Mamea knocked down three kills and Samaniego had two as part of a 6-1 run, giving the Royals a commanding 14-8 advantage.
The Royals tallied the final eight points to win 25-11, with Nua posting two of her aces during the run. HIU hit an impressive .400 (15-3-30) in set two.
The Warriors built a 7-3 lead in set three and maintained a four-point edge at 9-5 following an HIU service error. But the Royals responded with another mammoth 8-0 run, helped by the serving prowess of Judy Juhala. Kertz also contributed assisted blocks on three of those points with help from Nua and Galassi.
The Warriors were within striking distance, trailing just 16-12, but the Royals reeled off five consecutive points for a commanding nine-point lead.
HIU closed out the 25-16 victory on back-to-back Mamaia Mamea service aces.
The Royals steer their attention back to GSAC play, hosting La Sierra on Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
