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WALLY NELL / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
University of Hawai beach volleyball player Morgan Martin dives for the ball during the Rainbow Wahine’s loss today to fourth-seeded Florida State during the NCAA championship bracket semifinal in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Wahine will face the winner of Sunday’s first match between top-seeded UCLA and fifth-seeded USC in a loser-out match at 6:30 a.m. Hawaii time. The winner takes on the Seminoles for the national title at 8 a.m. Hawaii time.
WALLY NELL / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Gulf Shores, AL - NCAA women’s sand volleyball championship during the Rainbow Wahine’s loss today to fourth-seeded Florida State during the NCAA championship bracket semifinal in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Wahine will face the winner of Sunday’s first match between top-seeded UCLA and fifth-seeded USC in a loser-out match at 6:30 a.m. Hawaii time. The winner takes on the Seminoles for the national title at 8 a.m. Hawaii time.
The third-seeded Hawaii beach volleyball team saw its 32-match winning streak snapped today, losing to fourth-seeded Florida State 3-2 in the NCAA championship bracket semifinal at Gulf Shores, Ala.
The Rainbow Wahine (37-4) will face top-seeded UCLA (38-4) in Sunday’s loser-out match at 5:30 a.m. Hawaii time. The winner takes on the Seminoles (33-6) for the national title at 8 a.m. Hawaii time.
In today’s match, all flights went to three sets except Flight 4, which was won by Hawaii’s Amy Ozee-Ari Homayun 22-20, 21-16. FSU tied the match with a win at Flight 1, Hawaii regained the lead with a win at Flight 3 (Carly Kan-Laurel Weaver) with the Seminoles again tying with a win at Flight 2.
It came down to Flight 5 where UH’s Paige Dreeuws and Hannah Zalopany lost 24-22, 21-23, 15-12 giving the deciding point to FSU, extending the Noles’ win streak to 21.
On Friday, it was Dreeuws-Zalopany’s three-set victory that gave the SandBows the 3-2 upset of second-seeded Pepperdine.
The SandBows finished third nationally last season. Prior to today, Hawaii’s last loss came on March 10 to FSU 4-1 at Huntington Beach, Calif.
Earlier today, USC eliminated Pepperdine 3-2 and UCLA ousted LSU 3-0. The Bruins then eliminated the two-time defending champion Women of Troy 3-1.
Hawaii is 1-2 against UCLA this season, sweeping the Bruins 5-0 on opening day at the Ching Complex on Feb. 24. UCLA won a day later 3-2 and also claimed a 4-1 victory on March 8 in Westwood, Calif.
>> Related Video: Beach volleyball players, coaches reflect on sport’s growing popularity (Mobile app users, click here)
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