After three matches of frustration, Hawaii savored a breakthrough against No. 6 Cal Poly on Saturday night.
The 14th-ranked Rainbow Wahine endured a tight loss on the Mustangs’ home court to cap the first week of the season and again on Friday night when the series moved to Manoa.
After Cal Poly managed to fend off UH again in the opener of a Saturday doubleheader at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex, first-year UH coach Angelica Ljungqvist shuffled the lineup before the BeachBows’ final dual match of the home schedule and they responded with a 5-0 senior night sweep over the Mustangs.
UH’s Harlee Kekauoha and Pani Napoleon were honored after the match, their last dual match at home. Kekauoha teamed with Lea Kruse to earn the clinching point and Napoleon finished off the sweep with Jaime Santer at the No. 1 flight.
The BeachBows (8-7) and Mustangs (16-5) will close the weekend with an exhibition pairs tournament today starting at 10 a.m.
Cal Poly defeated UH 3-2 two weeks earlier to close The Challenge, a round-robin tournament among Big West teams on the Mustangs’ courts in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The series moved to Manoa this week and Cal Poly again edged the Wahine 3-2 in Friday’s opener, with four of the five flights going to three sets.
The Mustangs claimed the opening dual of Saturday’s doubleheader 4-1, with the pivotal top two flights again going to three sets.
Anna Maidment and Sofia Russo earned UH’s point with a sweep at No. 5. But Cal Poly swept at the No. 3 and 4 and earned the clinching point at No. 2 when Jayelin Lombard and Amy Ozee held off Napoleon and Santer 21-15, 13-21, 15-11. Cal Poly’s Macy Gordon and Emily Sonny outlasted UH’s Amber Igiede and Brooke Van Sickle 21-17, 11-21, 15-12 at No. 1 to account for the final margin.
Between matches, Ljungqvist moved Napoleon-Santer to No. 1 and Igiede-Van Sickle to No. 2 and inserted Lea Kruse into the lineup at No. 3 with Kekauoha.
UH took the early lead in the nightcap when Maidment and Russo earned their second win of the day in sweeping Piper Naess and Hannah Rogers 21-16, 28-26. The Mustangs fought off five match points before Maidment and Russo earned UH’s first point.
UH’s Kaylee Glagau and Ilihia Huddleston enjoyed similar fortunes in a 21-14, 24-22 win over Vanessa Roscoe and Josie Ulrich to give UH a 2-0 lead.
Kruse and Kekauoha then took the first set against Lombard and Ozee — a former UH standout who joined the Mustangs this season as a graduate transfer — and raced out to a 14-7 lead in the second. Lombard and Ozee went on a 6-0 run to get back in the set and knotted the set at 19-19. A Kekauoha kill gave UH match point and the grad transfer from UC Irvine punctuated the 21-16, 21-19 win with a block to secure the dual for UH.
Van Sickle and Igiede padded the margin by rallying against Mariah Whalen and Tia Miric 19-21, 21-14, 15-13. With the third set tied at 13-13, Igiede gave UH match point with a block and the Mustangs hit long to end the match.
Napoleon and Santer took the first set against Gordon and Sonny and trailed 11-10 in the second before going on a 6-1 run. The Mustangs fought off two match points before Napoleon poked a shot over the net that fell in for a closing kill to cap the 21-19, 21-17 win.
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No. 14 Hawaii 5, No. 6 Cal Poly 0
No. 1 — Pani Napoleon-Jaime Santer (UH) def. Macy Gordon-Emily Sonny (CP) 21-19, 21-17
No. 2 — Amber Igiede-Brooke Van Sickle (UH) def. Mariah Whalen-Tia Miric (CP) 19-21, 21-14, 15-13
No. 3 — Harlee Kekauoha-Lea Kruse (UH) def. Jayelin Lombard-Amy Ozee (CP) 21-16, 21-19
No. 4 — Kaylee Glagau-Ilihia Huddleston (UH) def. Vanessa Roscoe-Josie Ulrich (CP) 21-14, 24-22
No. 5 — Anna Maidment-Sofia Russo (UH) def. Piper Naess-Hannah Rogers (CP) 21-16, 28-26
Order of finish: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
First dual
No. 6 Cal Poly 4, No. 14 Hawaii 1
No. 1 — Macy Gordon-Emily Sonny (CP) def. Amber Igiede-Brooke Van Sickle (UH) 21-17, 11-21, 15-12
No. 2 — Jayelin Lombard-Amy Ozee (CP) def. Pani Napoleon-Jaime Santer (UH) 15-21, 21-13, 15-11
No. 3 — Tia Miric-Mariah Whalen (CP) def. Kylin Loker-Harlee Kekauoha (UH) 21-9, 21-17
No. 4 — Vaness Roscoe-Josie Ulrich (CP) def. Ilihia Huddleston-Kaylee Glagau (UH) 21-19, 21-15
No. 5 — Anna Maidment-Sofia Russo (UH) def. Sam Strah-Hannah Rogers (CP) 21-19, 21-15
Order of finish: 5, 3, 4, 2, 1
