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By Hawaii interim coach Evan Silberstein’s accounting, the Rainbow Wahine were two points away from seeing their season end along with their stay in the Big West Beach Volleyball Championship.
But a third-set comeback by Megan Widener and Sarah Penner pushed the Rainbow Wahine past Long Beach State and into the Big West final against Cal Poly.
Although the host Mustangs went on to claim the conference title with a 3-2 win over UH at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex in San Luis Obispo, Calif., the BeachBows’ semifinal win was enough to extend their season.
A few hours after leaving the courts in disappointment, the BeachBows could celebrate being awarded an at-large bid to this week’s National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala.
UH, which missed last year’s tournament, was slotted as the 13th seed in the 16-team NCAA Tournament bracket and will face No. 4 seed Loyola Marymount in the first round at 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
“The girls are over the moon,” Silberstein said in a Zoom session with media members on Saturday. “Only two athletes on this team have been to Alabama for the tournament and myself and (volunteer assistant) Ginger Long. To bring such a new group down there, it’s like a beach volleyball pilgrimage.”
The NCAA tournament was expanded to 16 teams this season and UH will make its fifth appearance in the event and first since 2019. The tournament opens with eight single-elimination matches on Wednesday. The winners move on to the double-elimination bracket starting Friday.
The BeachBows split two meetings with Loyola Marymount on April 9 and 10 at the Ching Complex in Manoa. UH won the first meeting 3-2 and the Lions claimed the rematch, also 3-2.
“Coming at them with a split, our girls are confident, they’re excited, so we’re going to put our work in and get ready to play on Wednesday,” Silberstein said.
“We have absolutely nothing to lose in a moment like that. We get to come in as an underdog, which as Hawaii we love to do.”
UH’s chances of heading to Alabama appeared tenuous with Saturday’s semifinal with Long Beach State tied 2-2 and Widener and Penner trailing LBSU’s Jillian Rodriguez and Emily Matoon 11-7 in the third set of the final active match of the dual.
The UH duo rallied to tie the set at 13-13 as Rodriguez dealt with leg cramps. The Beach pair survived one match point but couldn’t return Widener’s serve on the second and the UH duo finished off a 21-18, 17-21, 16-14 win.
“Just an unbelievable comeback by them and I think really a determining factor for us,” Silberstein said. “If we don’t win that match, my math is we wouldn’t have made the (NCAA) tournament.”
UH would have to defeat Cal Poly twice to claim the tournament title and, with a few minutes to regroup, dropped the No. 4 and 3 flights against the Mustangs. Riley Wagoner and Ilihia Huddleston kept the BeachBows alive with a sweep at No. 5, but Cal Poly’s No. 1 flight of Tia Miric and Ella Conner held off Brooke Van Sickle and Kaylee Glagau 21-14, 25-23 to clinch the crown.
UH’s Kylin Loker and Jaime Santer won 13-21, 21-14, 15-13 at the No. 2 court to account for the 3-2 margin.
Cal Poly earned the Big West’s automatic bid and is the 12th seed in the NCAA bracket. The Mustangs will face No. 5 Florida State on Wednesday. Defending champion Southern California is the top seed.
Matches on Wednesday and Friday will be televised on ESPNU. The final two days will air on ESPN2.
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BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Semifinals
Hawaii 3, Long Beach State 2
1. Brooke Van Sickle/Kaylee Glagau (UH) def. Alice Pratesi/Skyler Germann (LBSU) 21-14, 21-18
2. Kylin Loker/Jaime Santer (UH) def. Sydney Stevens/Katie Kennedy (LBSU) 21-17, 21-16
3. Megan Widener/Sarah Penner (UH) def. Jillian Rodriguez/Emily Mattoon (LBSU) 21-18, 17-21, 16-14
4. Claire Newlande/Nicci Reinking (LBSU) def. Anna Maidment/Sofia Russo (UH) 21- 15, 21-16
5. Sophie Major/Christine DeRoos (LBSU) def. Riley Wagoner/Ilihia Huddleston (UH) 15-21, 21-15, 15-9
Championship
Cal Poly 3, Hawaii 2
1. Tia Miric/Ella Connor (CP) def. Van Sickle/Glagau (UH) 21-14, 25-23
2. Loker/Santer (UH) def. Jayelin Lombard/ Piper Ferch (CP) def. 13-21, 21-14, 15-13
3. Addison Hermstad/Peyton Dueck (CP) def Penner/Widener (UH) 21-14, 21-15
4. Mariah Whalen/Piper Naess (CP) def. Maidment/Russo (UH) 21-11, 21-13
5. Wagoner/Huddleston (UH) def. Josie Ulrich/Vanessa Roscoe (CP) 21-18, 21-17
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