(Editor's Note: Updated and corrected statistics cleared up a confusion from earlier reporting of the Alaska Anchorage match)

HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University concluded it's delayed, Covid shortened spring season with a stunning straight sets victory over Alaska Anchorage and a disappointing straight sets loss to Hawai'i Hilo in the final PacWest Hawai'i Spring Tournament at Vulcans Gym.
 
The Sharks (3-12, 2-11) took down the Seawolves (11-4) 25-16, 25-21, 28-26 in the morning, then closed the season in the afternoon against the host Vulcans (14-2, 13-1) 25-12, 25-16, 25-23.
 
HPU hit .231 with 45 kills in the match while recording 9.0 team blocks. The Seawolves hit just .174 with 6.0 team blocks for the match.
 
Freshman Demi Winters of Gresham, Ore./Barlow led the offensive attack with 11 kills, a .346 hitting percentage and four blocks, while senior Cameryn Collie of El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge double-doubled with 10 kills and 12 digs, and junior Emily Joseph of Modesto, Calif./Gregori added 10 kills. Junior Kirah Boynton-Brown of Vancouver, Wash./Union recorded six blocks to lead the match.
 
The Seawolves were paced by Eve Stephens who double-doubled with 14 kills and 13 digs. Hannah Pembroke added nine kills, while Vera Pluharova tallied four blocks.
 
The Sharks and Seawolves were back and forth in the opening set the Sharks went on runs of 4-0 and 5-0 to take a 21-14 lead on a Collie block. After trading points, HPU put the set away on a kill by Collie and a service ace by senior Casey Davenport of Auburn, Wash./Mountainview for the 25-16 win.
 
HPU started with a 6-0 run in the second set, then allowed UAA to follow suit to tie the set at 6-all. It would be the only tie. The Sharks went on another 6-0 run and held control, but allowed the Seawolves to pull within two at 18-16. A 6-1 run by HPU took the Sharks to set point, only to have a UAA put on a 4-0 before closing it out 25-21.
 
The Sharks had to battle back in the third, trailing 12-7, fought back to get the score tied at 17-all. Again the Seawolves built it back up to a 23-20 lead before HPU took advantage of a service error and two kills by Joseph to tie the set. The teams swapped scores in to extra points at 26-26. That's when Joseph got a kill and UAA committed an attack error to swing the set to the Sharks 28-26. HPU did not have a lead in the set until 25-24.
 
Against UH Hilo, HPU hit .142 for the match, with 5.0 team blocks. The Vulcans hit a phenomenal hit .404 with 8.0 team blocks.
 
Junior Emily Joseph of Modesto, Calif./Gregori led the Sharks with 10 kills and a block, with senior Cameryn Collie of El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge added seven kills and six digs with two blocks in her final match. Freshman Sunny Brown of Draper, Utah/Alta, led HPU with four blocks.
 
UH Hilo was led by Taira Ka'awaloa with 13 kills and a .650 hitting percentage. Bria Beale double-doubled with 12 kills and 10 digs. Ashton Jessee posted six blocks to lead the contest.
 
The Sharks got off on the wrong foot and could not get out of the hole in the first set. A 5-0 run midway throught and a 4-0 to close the set spelled doom for HPU, as UH Hilo won 25-12.
 
HPU and UHH tied 10 times in the second set, but the Vulcans went on a 13-4 run close the set for a 25-16 win.
 
In the third, HPU fought back from an 18-14 deficit to tie the set at 20 and 22, only to see the Vulcans close with three of the last four points to take the set 25-23.
 
The Sharks are looking forward to next August when the new fall season begins as they are expecting to have a complete season that was dashed by the Covid virus.