Chaminade volleyball completes 20-0 run through PacWest, awaits NCAA Tournament

In a feat of remarkable consistency, the Chaminade women’s volleyball team completed a 20-game sweep of the PacWest Conference to earn a fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid.

The No. 7 Silverswords defeated Hawaii Hilo, 25-20, 25-17, 21-25, 25-16 at Vulcan Gymnasium on Saturday night to become the eighth team to complete an undefeated Pacwest volleyball season. It was new ground for Chaminade (27-4 overall), which was the first school to do it in seven years.

Hawaii schools have authored seven of the eight all-time PacWest women’s volleyball undefeated seasons. BYU-Hawaii had four and Hawaii Pacific and Hawaii Hilo have had one.

Over the 20 games, the Silverswords were taken to five sets twice — against Hawaii Hilo and against Fresno Pacific, both at home. They swept teams six times.

Coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke’s Silverswords have a 73-7 PacWest record over the last four seasons, a period that has now produced four of CUH’s seven all-time NCAA postseason appearances.

The NCAA Division II selection show is 2:30 p.m. Monday at ncaa.com. Stanislaus State of the CCAA and Central Washington of the GNAC are the other two automatic qualifiers in the West Region; five at-large teams will be revealed.

West Region action begins Dec. 5. Chaminade will see if it surpassed Cal Poly Pomona as the West’s top-ranked team — Pomona was upset in the CCAA tournament — and could host the region.

Chaminade has won 17 straight overall.

The big one down the stretch was a four-set victory at previously unbeaten and 13^th-ranked Point Loma Nazarene on Nov. 15. PLNU went 19-1 in the PacWest.

Chaminade followed it up with four-setters against Hawaii Pacific on senior night and at UHH to close. Silverswords hitter Anna Stucchi put down 19 kills on .548 hitting on Saturday, raising her season percentage to .441 — representing a Chaminade record.

The Vulcans finished 16-14, in a four-way tie for fourth place in the PWC.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.