HONOLULU - The No. 5 University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team continued its hot start to the 2017 campaign with a 4-1 win over Nebraska Monday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.  UH improved to 12-2 on the year with its only two losses to top-ranked USC and No. 4 Florida State.  
 
It was UH's second win over Nebraska (3-6) in the last four days. The SandBows blanked the Huskers, 5-0, in the Outrigger Hawai'i Invitational on Friday. UH remained undefeated against Nebraska in six all-time meetings.  
 
In the first matches of the day, UH picked up a pair of straight set wins at the No. 4 and 5 flights. Ari Homayun and Carly Kan improved to 12-2 on the year by breezing to a 21-16, 21-13 win over Mikaela Foecke and Kenzie Maloney. Meanwhile freshman Amy Ozee and junior Hannah Zalopany gained their first-ever win together with a 21-12, 21-18 win over Tiani Reeves and Brooke Smith at the No. 5 court.
 
Emily Maglio and Laurel Weaver, the reigning Big West Pairs Team of the Week, needed to go three sets in their win at the No. 3 flight, just the second time in 13 wins this season that's happened. But the pair still got it done, improving to an astounding 13-1 with their 21-14, 18-21, 15-9 win over Laren Stivrins and Kelly Hunter.
 
The nightcap began with a surprise result as Olivia Boender and Annika Albrecht upset the No. 2 pair of Nikki Taylor and Ka'iwi Schucht 16-21, 21-15, 15-9. Taylor and Schucht beat Boender and Albrecht handily in straight sets three days earlier, but were tripped up this time in suffering just their second loss in 14 matches this year.  
 
The evening finished with strong performance by the No. 1 pair of Mikayla Tucker and Morgan Martin as they were in control all match as they defeated Justine Wong-Orantes 21-13, 21-16. The pair improved to 9-5 on the year.
 
The SandBows next head to the road for a 10-match spring break road swing through Southern California. First up on the trip is a trio of matches versus Irvine Valley College, TCU, and Stanford in Irvine, Calif., on Sunday, March 26.
 
#5 Hawai'i 4, Nebraska 1
1. Mikayla Tucker/Morgan Martin (UH) Justine Wong-Orantes/Andie Malloy (NEB) 21-13, 21-16
2. Olivia Boender/Annika Albrecht (NEB) def. Nikki Taylor/Ka'iwi Schucht (UH) 21-14, 18-21, 15-9  
3. Laurel Weaver/Emily Maglio (UH) def. Laurne Stivrins (NEB) 21-14, 18-21, 15-9
4. Carly Kan/Ari Homayun (UH) def. Kenzie Maloney/Mikaela Foecke (NEB) 21-16, 21-13
5. Amy Ozee/Hannah Zalopany (UH) def.  Tiani Reeves/Brooke Smith (NEB) 21-12, 21-18
Exh: Hiilawae Huddleston/Norene Iosia  Sydney Townsend/Tiani Reeves 21-8, 21-17
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 3, 2, 1