Hawaii warms up for Long Beach State

It’s a simple equation. Win three of five.

Not that it’s what No. 6 Hawaii wants to settle for when it faces No. 5 Long Beach State today in the Big West Conference Beach Volleyball Tournament at Pismo Beach, Calif. “Hawaii 5-0” always is the goal, but winning three of the five is all that the second-seeded Rainbow Wahine would need in potentially two matchups with the top-seeded 49ers in the double-elimination event.

Both Hawaii (24-5) , the defending Big West champion, and Long Beach State (25-6) won their openers on Friday 4-1, the SandBows topping third-seeded Cal Poly and The Beach over fourth-seeded Sacramento State. Hawaii and Long Beach State advance to today’s winners bracket semifinal at 7 a.m. Hawaii time. The loser will play the winner of Cal State Bakersfield and Cal Poly in an elimination match, with that winner advancing back to the winners bracket final.

Friday’s match with the Mustangs was much tighter than the previous three meetings for the SandBows, although all were 4-1 Hawaii victories. This time, Cal Poly forced a third set in two of the flights, with Hawaii’s Morgan Martin-Mikayla Tucker at Flight 1 and Hi’ilawe Huddleston-Amy Ozee both prevailing 2-1.

Hawaii’s loss came at No. 2 when Adlee-Van Winden-Taylor Nelson defeated Nikki Taylor-Ka’iwi Schucht 21-18, 21-17.

It prevented Taylor from tying her former partner Katie Spieler for most individual wins in program history (102).

“Those two (flights 1 and 5) could have gone either way,” Hawaii coach Jeff Hall said in a telephone call. “We were battling all the way.

“At (flight) 2, it was a combination of Van Winden and Nelson playing well and us not playing to our potential. I think our 1 and 2 need to step it up (today).”

Hawaii last met Long Beach State on April 1 in Huntington Beach, Calif., with the 49ers taking a 3-2 victory. The Beach won at Nos. 1, 2 and 4.

Friday was the first time Hawaii played at Pismo Beach. Hall said the conditions were good but that the wind picked up during the SandBows’ match, with gusts up to 30 mph.

“I think it affected us more than it did Cal Poly,” Hall said. “It got a little ugly. I’m happy to get out with a win.”

BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
At Pismo Beach, Calif.

Friday
>> Sacramento State def. CSUN, 3-2
>> Cal Poly def. CSU Bakersfield, 5-0
>> Long Beach State def. Sacramento State, 4-1
>> Hawaii def. Cal Poly, 4-1
>> CSU Bakersfield def. Sacramento State, 3-2 (Sac State eliminated)
>> Cal Poly def. CSUN, 5-0 (CSUN eliminated)

Hawaii 4, Cal Poly 1
1. Morgan Martin-Mikayla Tucker (UH) def. Emily Sonny-Hannah Hubbard (CP), 21-16, 16-21, 15-13
2. Adlee Van Winder-Taylor Nelson (CP def. Nikki Taylor-Ka’iwi Schucht (UH), 21- 18, 21-17
3. Laurel Weaver-Emily Maglio (UH) def. Raeann Greisen-Holland Boege (CP), 24-22, 21-18
4. Carly Kam-Ari Homayun (UH) def. Anna Gorman-Savannah Niemen (CP), 21-13, 21-18
5. Hi’ilawe Huddleston-Amy Ozee (UH) def. Dora Bellin-Taylor Gruenewald (CP), 19-21, 21-15, 15-9