In front of a packed Stan Sheriff Center, sophomore setter Adrianna Arquette stepped up at the service line with a do-or-die aloha ball in a grueling fifth set.
Arquette was having a career night, recording the University of Hawai’i Wahine Volleyball team’s first triple double since 2018. Playing setter and outside hitter in place of an injured junior outside hitter Stella Adeyemi, Arquette delivered when it mattered most.
She sent a powerful jump serve to an unsuspecting UC Riverside defender, finding on the hardwood for an ace. Benches cleared as the Stan Sheriff Center erupted for Hawai’i’s first conference win of the season, beating the Highlanders in five sets (25-23, 25-18, 25-21, 25-17, 15-13).
“We have an extra hitter in front,” Head Coach Robyn Ah Mow said. “When she’s on, she’s on.”
Following the loss of two starting outside hitters, Adeyemi and junior outside hitter Tali Hakas (shoulder), the Rainbow Wahine (5-7, 1-0 Big West Conference) were forced to shuffle its lineups. In certain rotations, sophomore Audrey Hollis was put at setter, moving Arquette to the outside.
Arquette moslty played outside hitter and middle blocker in her days at Kamehameha, which made the switch seamless.
“I think just everyone has to step up with key pieces missing,” Arquette said. “Everyone individually has to step up and keep working on what we need to work on,”
Arquette ended her night with 11 kills, 41 assists, and 15 digs while hitting at a .391 hitting percentage, which ranked fourth on the night.
Notably, she doesn’t even hit at practice.
Several Wahine players stepped up in their new roles, including sophomore middle blocker Maddie Way.
In her first start of her career, she posted nine kills, one assist, one dig and four blocks, providing an instant impact for Ah Mow and the ‘Bows.
“Maddie is totally different from last year,” Ah Mow said. “She’s definitely working pretty hard in practice too.”
Down 4-3 in the fifth set, freshman outside hitter Cha’lei Reid received a bump pass from fellow freshman defensive specialist Jayci Miyasaki, and put it down for a kill to tie it 4-4. Miyasaki, seeing the most action of her young career, notched eight digs in the win.
“She hasn’t touched a ball in two months,” Ah Mow said. “I coached her two years ago, I know what she can do.”
UC Riverside (4-8, 0-2 BWC) rallied back to tie it late in the fourth set, tying it at 13-13 behind strong serves from Makiki native and senior Highlanders setter Makena Tong.
Tong had a career milestone back in her homestate, getting her 1,000th career assists at the Stan Sheriff Center, just a three minute drive from UH Laboratory School where she won a Division II State title in 2022.
But in the end, sophomore outside hitter Ravyn Dash and Arquette put it away for the Wahine, giving Hawai’i its first Big West win of 2025.
The Rainbow Wahine continue its home conference slate at 7 p.m. Saturday against the UC Davis Aggies at the Bank of Hawai’i Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.