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Emily Maglio and Laurel Weaver started off the new week the same way they finished the previous one: with a big victory.
The No. 3 pair for No. 5 Hawaii clinched Monday’s dual against Nebraska, overcoming unpredictable wind gusts, a minor injury to Weaver and a major challenge from the Huskers’ Lauren Stivrins and Kelly Hunter. Weaver’s cut shot on the second match point gave the Rainbow Wahine duo a 21-14, 18-21, 15-9 win at the Ching Complex beach volleyball courts.
The first televised match of the season saw Hawaii improve to 12-2 with the 4-1 defeat of Nebraska (2-6) but not history. The Huskers’ Olivia Boender-Annika Albrecht prevented senior Nikki Taylor from becoming the program’s all-time career leader in wins in dual matches, holding off Taylor and Ka’iwi Schucht 21-16, 15-21, 15-9.
Taylor remains tied with graduated All-American Katie Spieler at 59 dual wins. Spieler also holds the program record for overall wins (102), Taylor is No. 2 at 91 heading into Sunday’s tournament at Irvine Valley College in California.
At the Outrigger Hawaii Invitational at Queen’s Beach on Friday, Hawaii swept all five matches with Nebraska in the 5-0 win. That included Maglio-Weaver’s 21-8, 21-11 sweep of Stivrins-Hunter.
“It was their third match of the day and our first,” Wahine assistant Evan Silberstein said. “We were fresher for sure.”
The change in venue meant a change in conditions, with shallower sand and more wind at the Ching courts.
“It was twice as windy today, that was a factor,” Weaver said. “And the shallower sand is more indoor style, which feeds into their game (all 12 of the Huskers were on the indoor team last fall).”
Leading 19-14 in Set 1, Weaver extended on a dive, suffering what she called “a little whiplash.” After an injury timeout, Nebraska immediately served Weaver, who would go on to put away a kill, then end it with an ace.
“I was excited with them serving me,” Weaver said. “It was a good opportunity to work on serve-receive under pressure.
“We had a slow start (in Set 2), but we turned it around in Set 3 and came out firing.”
It pushed their record to 13-1, capping a day that began with the duo being named the Big West pairs team of the week. Maglio-Weaver had the lone victory in the 4-1 loss to No. 1 USC on Saturday.
In Monday’s final contest at No. 1, Mikayla Tucker and Morgan Martin swept Justine Wong-Orantes and Andie Malloy, Tucker 21-13, 21-16. Tucker served for six straight in Set 1 for a 14-4 lead. At 19-9, the Huskers made it interesting, pulling to 19-13, only to have Martin put down the final two kills.
Tucker’s serving was key in Set 2, her ace capping a 3-0 run that put Hawaii up for good at 16-13.
Also on Monday, Hawaii remained at No. 5 in the AVCA Collegiate Beach Top 15. Outrigger Hawaii Invitational USC (11-0) remained at No. 1, followed by Pepperdine (8-1), UCLA (11-2) and Florida State (8-4).
No. 5 Hawaii 4, Nebraska 1
1. Mikayla Tucker-Morgan Martin (UH) def. Justine Wong-Orantes/Andie Malloy (NU), 21-13, 21-16
2. Olivia Boender-Annika Albrecht (NU) def. Nikki Taylor-Ka’iwi Schucht (UH), 21-16, 15-21, 15-9
3. Emily Maglio-Laurel Weaver (UH) def. Lauren Stivrins-Kelly Hunter (NU), 21-14, 18-21, 15-9
4. Carly Kan-Ari Homayun (UH) def. Mikaela Foecke-Kenzie Maloney (NU), 21-16, 21-13
5. Hannah Zalopany-Amy Ozee (UH) def. Tiani Reeves-Brooke Smith (NU), 21-12, 21-18
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