Top-seeded Hawaii remained on track for its fourth consecutive Big West beach volleyball tournament title, opening with a 5-0 win over Cal State Northridge on Friday at Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine (25-7), who had a first-round bye, next see second-seeded Cal Poly (23-10) in today’s championship bracket semifinal at 7 a.m. The Mustangs upset the SandBows 3-2 in Big West Challenge on March 31, the only time Cal Poly has defeated Hawaii in eight meetings.

On Friday, the fifth-ranked SandBows won four of five contests with the fourth-seeded Matadors (15-11) in straight sets, the only one going three sets coming at Flight 3. Morgan Martin and Pani Napoleon rallied past Taylor Brydon and Lauren McMurray 19-21, 21-10, 15-6 to improve to 22-1 overall and 44-3 in sets this season.

“Happy to advance,” Hawaii coach Jeff Hall said. “They were extremely focused and played well.”

A victory over eighth-ranked Cal Poly this morning would put Hawaii in the championship of the double-elimination event. A loss would drop the SandBows into the losers bracket, where they would need to win three matches, including two against the Mustangs, to win the title.

Cal Poly reached today’s semifinal with 5-0 sweeps of Sacramento State and Long Beach State.

The two lowest seeds were eliminated on Friday in No. 6 Cal State Bakersfield and No. 7 Sac State. In today’s loser-out matches, third-seeded Long Beach State meets fourth-seeded CSUN, the winner of that playing the loser of Hawaii-Cal Poly to advance to the championship.