Hawaii beach volleyball team experiences agony of defeat then thrill of NCAA invite

By Hawaii interim coach Evan Silberstein’s accounting, the Rainbow Wahine were two factors absent from viewing their season close along with their continue to be in the Large West Seaside Volleyball Championship.

But a third-set comeback by Megan Widener and Sarah Penner pushed the Rainbow Wahine previous Prolonged Seaside Condition and into the Huge West last versus Cal Poly.

Though the host Mustangs went on to claim the conference title with a 3-2 acquire more than UH at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Intricate in San Luis Obispo, Calif., the BeachBows’ semifinal gain was ample to lengthen their time.

A couple several hours soon after leaving the courts in disappointment, the BeachBows could rejoice remaining awarded an at-massive bid to this week’s Countrywide Collegiate Seashore Volleyball Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala.

UH, which skipped last year’s tournament, was slotted as the 13th seed in the 16-crew NCAA Tournament bracket and will face No. 4 seed Loyola Marymount in the initial spherical at 6 a.m. on Wednesday.

“The girls are above the moon,” Silberstein reported in a Zoom session with media users on Saturday. “Only two athletes on this workforce have been to Alabama for the event and myself and (volunteer assistant) Ginger Long. To provide these kinds of a new team down there, it’s like a seaside volleyball pilgrimage.”

The NCAA match was expanded to 16 groups this year and UH will make its fifth look in the celebration and to start with since 2019. The event opens with eight one-elimination matches on Wednesday. The winners move on to the double-elimination bracket setting up Friday.

The BeachBows split two meetings with Loyola Marymount on April 9 and 10 at the Ching Sophisticated in Manoa. UH won the to start with assembly 3-2 and the Lions claimed the rematch, also 3-2.

“Coming at them with a split, our ladies are confident, they are psyched, so we’re likely to set our work in and get all set to participate in on Wednesday,” Silberstein stated.

“We have definitely practically nothing to get rid of in a minute like that. We get to arrive in as an underdog, which as Hawaii we enjoy to do.”

UH’s prospects of heading to Alabama appeared tenuous with Saturday’s semifinal with Very long Seashore Point out tied 2-2 and Widener and Penner trailing LBSU’s Jillian Rodriguez and Emily Matoon 11-7 in the third set of the ultimate energetic match of the dual.

The UH duo rallied to tie the established at 13-13 as Rodriguez dealt with leg cramps. The Seaside pair survived one match place but couldn’t return Widener’s serve on the 2nd and the UH duo finished off a 21-18, 17-21, 16-14 win.

“Just an unbelievable comeback by them and I believe genuinely a figuring out component for us,” Silberstein reported. “If we do not get that match, my math is we wouldn’t have built the (NCAA) match.”

UH would have to defeat Cal Poly 2 times to declare the match title and, with a handful of minutes to regroup, dropped the No. 4 and 3 flights against the Mustangs. Riley Wagoner and Ilihia Huddleston held 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 gained 13-21, 21-14, 15-13 at the No. 2 court to account for the 3-2 margin.

Cal Poly acquired the Big West’s automated bid and is the 12th seed in the NCAA bracket. The Mustangs will experience No. 5 Florida Point out on Wednesday. Defending winner Southern California is the leading seed.

Matches on Wednesday and Friday will be televised on ESPNU. The last two times will air on ESPN2.