TUCSON, Ariz. -- Emily Hartong had a match-high 21 kills and No. 10 Hawaii earned the tournament title at the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Volleyball Challenge with a 3-1 (20-25, 17-25, 25-22, 23-25) victory over Arizona on Saturday night inside the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hartong finished with a match-high 21 kills to go along with 13 digs, while Kalei Adolpho had 14 kills with Tai Manu-Olevao and Nikki Taylor each recording 11 kills. Meanwhile, Mita Uiato dished out 53 assists to go with 12 digs as she was named tournament MVP. Hawaii improved to 8-1 on the season, while Arizona dropped to 7-2 after seeing its five-match winning streak come to a close.
Both teams were pretty efficient on the offensive end as Hawaii hit .289 and Arizona hit .259. The Wildcats outblocked the Rainbows, 15.5-6.0, but Hawaii had a 62-49 advantage in digs.
Madi Kingdon led the Wildcats with 19 kills, 12 digs and six blocks. Kingdon earned her fourth straight double-double as she was named to the all-tournament team. Freshman Penina Snuka dished out 37 assists to go with five digs, three kills and two blocks. Taylor Arizobal had eight kills, five digs and four blocks, while Shaquillah Torres had seven kills, three digs and two assists. Halli Amaro had a match-high eight blocks to go with five kills. Meanwhile, Ronni Lewis tied Kingdon for team-high honors in digs with 12.
Olivia Magill finished with six kills and four blocks as she joined Kingdon on the all-tournament team.
After Hawaii won the first two sets, Arizona turned a 21-21 tie into a 25-22 victory in the third set after winning four of five points. Kingdon keyed the run with a pair of kills to close out the set.
Hawaii got off to a strong start in the fourth set. The Rainbows took a 23-16 lead and they look as if they were going to cruise to the victory; however, Arizona won the next four points to pull within three at 23-20. After Hawaii won the next point to earn match point, the Wildcats went on a 3-0 to trail by just one. Hawaii sealed up the match on the next point on a kill by Hartong.
The Wildcats return home for the Wildcat Classic on Friday and will take on Loyola Maryland, Wofford and UC Santa Barbara in the two-day event at McKale Center.
