It began with Ginger Long’s match-ending kill and finished with Katie Spieler’s continuing her quest to reach 100 career collegiate beach volleyball victories. The two seniors helped get their own party started Tuesday night as No. 5 Hawaii topped Boise State 4-1 in the regular-season home finale at the Ching Complex courts.
Long teamed with Mikayla Tucker at No. 5 to defeat Jaymee-Lee Bulda and Laney Hayes 21-9, 21-10 for the Rainbow Wahine’s first point and Spieler and Emily Maglio capped it with a 21-11, 21-14 victory at No. 1 over Hannah Hubbard-Maddy O’Donnell. Spieler-Maglio improved to 14-1 as a pair and Hawaii to 11-6 this season.
“The goal is to get better every time out,” team captain Spieler said. “For us, every match is do-or-die, our focus is that every team we play is the best in the nation.
“I’m really proud of our team. We came out and did what we needed to win tonight.”
Spieler, the winningest player in the program’s five-year history (95-39), likely will reach the century mark by the end of the month. Hawaii closes out the regular season with next week’s Outrigger Resorts Invitational at Queen’s Beach, a field headlined by No. 1 USC, and the inaugural Big West tournament April 29-30 at Huntington Beach, Calif.
Then, if all goes as planned, to the inaugural NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Ala., on May 6-8.
“We continue to work on things, to get better every time out,” SandBows coach Jeff Hall said. “Our seniors have been an amazing group, part of the foundation of the program.
“They’re leaving a legacy of commitment and hard work. They’ve done everything the right way.”
The trio — all playing as graduate students — included Heather Boyan, whose career ended in February after suffering multiple injuries in a fall while on a hike. She was 18-9 last season.
Long, part of the first beach team in 2012, is second to Spieler in career wins with 70. She and Tucker won their eighth in a row.
Hawaii’s lone loss came at No. 2 when Sarah Baugh and Sierra Nobley turned back Nikki Taylor and Lara Schreiber 21-19, 7-21, 15-12. Baugh, the Broncos’ lone senior, was also honored Tuesday night.
Boise State (4-4), a third-year program, is playing a condensed schedule with all its matches in April and the first 12 on the road. The Broncos’ only home contests are part of a one-day five-match tournament April 23.
No. 5 Hawaii 4, Boise State 1
1. Katie Spieler-Emily Maglio (UH) def. Hannah Hubbard-Maddy O’Donnell (BSU), 21-11, 21-14
2. Sarah Baugh-Sierra Nobley (BSU) def. Nikki Taylor-Lara Schreiber (UH), 21-19, 7-21, 15-12
3. Ka’iwi Schucht-Hannah Zalopany (UH) def. Kaitlyn Oliver-Maddi Osburn (BSU), 22-20, 18-21, 15-10
4. Hannah Rooks-Ari Homayun (UH) def. Katie Hall-Sabryn Roberts (BSU), 21-11, 21-11
5. Ginger Long-Mikayla Tucker (UH) def. Jaymee-Lee Bulda-Laney Hayes (BSU), 21-9, 21-10
Exhibition: Casey Castillo-Hi’ilawe Huddleston (UH) def. Emily Sullivan-Katie Hall (BSU), 21-19, 19-21, 15-10.
