HONOLULU - The No. 5 University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team won its first two matches on the second day of the Outrigger Hawaii Invitational before falling to top-ranked USC in the tournament finale Saturday at Queen's Beach.
 
UH defeated Utah, 5-0, and No. 7 Arizona, 3-2, to start the day but couldn't stop the Trojans (11-0) who captured the tournament title with a 4-1 victory over the Rainbow Wahine (11-2). The Trojans, who went 5-0 on the weekend, extended it NCAA record-win streak to 41 straight matches while the top pair of Sara Hughes and Kelley Claes remained undefeated in its last 84 matches.
 
In the first match of the day, UH blanked Utah (1-9) in the first-ever meeting between the programs. UH cruised to straight set wins at flights 2, 4, and 5 to clinch the match, but needed to go the distance on the final two courts to secure the shutout.
 
In the second match of the day, UH took down Arizona 3-2. It marked the second time this season the SandBows defeated the Wildcats (6-5) after winning 5-0 in Tucson on March 3. UH scored the first three points of the match, before the Wildcats took courts No. 1 and No. 5 in straight sets.
 
UH entered the day's finale vs. USC with a chance to capture a share of the tournament title. But USC turned back the SandBows by winning the first four points, including a 15-21, 21-11, 15-10 win by Allie Wheeler and Sophie Bukovec over Nikki Taylor and Ka'iwi Schucht at the No. 2 flight. It marked the first loss this season for Taylor and Schucht who won 12 straight matches to start the year.
 
UH's lone point against came when Emily Maglio and Laurel Weaver  took down Nicolette Martin and Terese Cannon, 21-10, 21-23, 15-7, at the No. 3 flight. Maglio and Weaver improved to 12-1 on the year with the win.
 
The SandBows return to the court on Monday, March 20 when they host Nebraska in a dual match at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Flights 3-5 will begin competition starting a 4:00 p.m. while flights 1 and 2 follow at 7:00 p.m. 
 
#5 Hawai'i 5, Utah 0
1. Mikayla Tucker/Morgan Martin (UH) def. Adora Anae/Dani Barton (UTAH) 21-15, 21-23, 15-13
2. Nikki Taylor/Ka'iwi Schucht (UH) def. Bailey Choy/Eliza Katoa (UTAH) 21-12, 22-20
3. Laurel Weaver/Emily Maglio (UH) def. Torre Glasker/Carly Trueman (UTAH) 19-21, 21-13, 15-11
4. Carly Kan/Ari Homayun (UH) def. Tawnee Luafalemana/Brianna Doehrmann (UTAH) 21-10, 21-10
5. Norene Iosia/Hannah Zalopany (UH) def. Lauren Sproule/Berkeley Oblad (UTAH) 21-13, 21-9
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 2, 3, 1
 
#5 Hawai'i  3 #7 Arizona 2
1. Madison Witt/Mckenna Witt (UA) def. Morgan Martin/Mikayla Tucker (UH) 21-6, 21-15
2. Nikki Taylor/Ka'iwi Schucht (UH) def. Kendra Dahlke/Mia Mason (UA) 21-12, 21-15
3. Laurel Weaver/Emily Maglio (UH) def. Olivia Macdonald/Olivia Hallaran (UA) 21-15, 21-3
4. Ari Homayun/Carly Kan (UH) def. Sam Manley/Hailey Devlin (UA) 21-12, 21-11
5. Halli Amaro/Brooke Burling (UA) def. Norene Iosia/Hannah Zalopany (UH) 26-24, 25-23
Order of Finish: 4,3,2,1,5
 
#1 USC 4,  #5 Hawai'i 1
1. Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes (USC) def. Morgan Martin/Mikayla Tucker (UH) 21-16, 24-22
2. Allie Wheeler/Sophie Bukovec (USC) def. Nikki Taylor/Ka'iwi Schucht (UH) 15-21, 21-11, 15-10
3. Emily Maglio/Laurel Weaver (UH) def. Nicolette Martin/Terese Cannon (USC) 21-10, 21-23, 15-7
4. Abril Bustamante/Joy Dennis (USC) def. Carly Kan/Ari Homayun (UH) 21-17, 21-16
5. Jenna Belton/Jo Kremer (USC) def. Amy Ozee/Hannah Zalopany (UH) 22-20, 21-18
Order of Finish: 1,4,5,2,3
 
Outrigger Hawaii Invitational Day 2 Results
Nebraska 5, Utah 0
#1 USC 4 #7 Arizona 1
#5 Hawai'i 5 Utah 0
#1 USC 4, #4 Florida State 1
#5 Hawai'i 3, #7 Arizona 2
#4 Florida State 4, Nebraska 1
#7 Arizona 5, Utah 0
#1 USC 4 #5 Hawai'i 1
 
Tournament Awards
Most Outstanding Player: Sara Hughes, USC
Best Attacker: Dani Barton, Utah
Best Blocker: Madison Witt, Arizona
Best Defender: Justine Wong-Orantes, Nebraska