GREEN BAY, Wis. - The No. 2 University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine (30-1) fell to the No. 22 Wisconsin Badgers (22-9) 29-31, 23-30, 30-22, 30-28
and 19-21 at the Resch Center Friday, ending UH's magical season with the program's third-highest winning percentage of .968.
Juliana Sanders had a career match, putting away a career-high 14 kills and five blocks, while hitting .500. Kanoe Kamana`o had a season-
high 66 assists, along with 11 digs and seven blocks. Susanne Boogaard added 20 kills and 16 digs while fellow left-side hitter Alicia Arnott
had 19 kills, 13 digs and three blocks. Victoria Prince put up a 15-kill, six-block night while Teisa Fotu had a great all-around match with 17 digs, five kills and four blocks. In a nip-and-tuck battle of a first game, Wisconsin used a four-point run in the middle of the game to take their biggest lead at 16-12. The Rainbow Wahine clawed their way back into it, using two big blocks by Prince to cut it to 25-24 before tying it a 27 on a Prince ace. The teams then traded points as a kill by Sheila Shaw gave the Badgers
their first game point at 29-28. Sanders came up with a big kill to keep UH in it before consecutive kills by Shaw and Marian Weidner put
it away, 31-29.
Wisconsin got an early 4-0 run to take the early advantage in game two, 5-3. It remained close until a huge UW 10-2 run blew it open, putting the Badgers up 27-19, before taking the second game 30-23.
The Rainbow Wahine came out of the long break with something to prove, using a four-point run midway through the game to go up 13-9. The
Badgers got back within two points at 18-16 before a big 5-0 UH run on two kills by Sanders, two kills by Arnott and a block by the two of
them, pushed it to 23-16. From there, Hawai`i just made their way to victory, taking it 30-22.
The Rainbow Wahine were again able to run up a quick lead in game four, taking leads of 5-1 and 7-2. Wisconsin fought back to get within
a point at 10-9. Hawai`i built their lead up again, getting it to 25-20 before a 6-1 Badger run tied the game at 26-26. Boogaard served up
one of her two aces in the match to get to game point at 29-27 before
Kamana'o put down a solo block to give UH the fourth game, 30-28.
Wisconsin got the first real advantage in the fifth and decisive game,
running off three-straight points to hold an 8-5 edge at the side
change. But Hawai`i responded with a three-point run to tie it at
nine. UH was able to get a two-point lead at 12-10 and 13-11, holding
the first match-point at 14-13. But the Badgers quickly fought it off
with two points, giving themselves a match point at 15-14. From there,
it was an all-out battle to the end. Hawai`i held off match-points at
15-14, 16-15, 17-16 and 18-17 before getting another match point of
their own on consecutive kills by Sanders. With the Rainbow Wahine up
19-18, Wisconsin took over as Jill Odenthal put away her match-high
25th kill before two-straight UW blocks finally put it away, 21-19.
The loss ends the season for Hawai`i and ends the careers of their two
seniors, Fotu and Melody Eckmier.