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WALLY NELL / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Rainbow Wahine Nikki Taylor digs a the ball against their opponents from Long Beach State during the NCAA Collegiate Women's sand volleyball championships in Gulf Shores, AL. Long Beach State and Pepperdine beat Hawaii on Friday.
Second-seeded Hawaii was eliminated from team-title contention Friday when falling to defending champion Pepperdine 3-2 in an elimination match at the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The SandBows (18-3) had dropped their opener 3-2 to Long Beach State then stayed alive in the losers bracket with a 3-2 victory over Florida State.
The match with the Waves (12-5) was tied at 1-1 with the final three matches all going to three sets. At No. 1, Kellie Woolever-Kelley Larsen took a 9-0 lead in Set 3 to close out a 21-12, 20-22, 15-5 victory over Brittany Tiegs-Nikki Taylor and go up 2-1.
Pepperdine clinched the victory with a win at No. 2. Lara Dkykstra-Becca Strehlow rallied past Olivia Urban-Katie Spieler, 19-21, 21-13, 15-9. Hawaii closed out the match with a 12-21, 21-18, 15-10 win by London Chow-Hannah Zalopany over Samantha Cash-Corinee Quiggle at No. 5.
Hawaii will send its No. 1 team of Tiegs-Taylor to Sunday’s pairs championship.
