MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – The No. 3 University of Hawaii beach volleyball team won a pair of matches on the second and final day of the East Meets West Challenge Sunday at Manhattan Beach Pier, defeating No. 13 Florida International, 3-2, and No. 9 LSU, 4-1.
 
UH concluded the tournament pairing the best teams from opposite sides of the country with a solid 3-1 mark. The Rainbow Wahine were powered by the pair of Emily Maglio and Ka'iwi Schucht who capped a 4-0 weekend with two more wins on Sunday, including a win in their first appearance of the season at the No. 1 flight vs. LSU.  
 
The SandBows (7-3) opened the day with a 3-2 win over FIU (6-4) after picking up points in the middle of the order at flights 2, 3, and 4. Maglio and Schucht were particularly dazzling with a 21-4, 21-13 crushing of Anabela Sataric and Madison Besterfield (FIU).
 
In the second match of the day against LSU (6-6), UH came close to sweeping the ninth-ranked Tigers who a day earlier upset second-ranked USC. The Bows blanked LSU, 3-0, in the NCAA Tournament last year and was dominant again against them, winning in straight sets on three courts, while dropping its only point in three sets at the No. 5 flight.
 
The SandBows next host the Outrigger Resorts Hawaii Invitational, March 17-18, at Queens Beach with a field that includes Grand Canyon, Nebraska, and USC.
 
Hawai'i 3, FIU 2
1. Federica Frasca/Margherita Bianchin (FIU) def. Laurel Weaver/Carly Kan (UH), 21-17, 21-13
2. Schucht/Maglio (UH) def. Anabela Sataric/Madison Besterfield (FIU), 21-4, 21-13
3. Morgan Martin/Lea Monkhouse (UH) def. Lina Bernier/Dorina Klinger (FIU), 22-20, 21-12
4. Amy Ozee/Ari Homayun (UH) def. Estefanie Bethancourt/Natalia Giron (FIU), 21-9, 21-11
5. Mariana Dal Pozzo/Taija Thomas (FIU) def. Hannah Zalopany/Paige Dreeuws (UH), 21-18, 21-19
Order of Finish: 2, 4, 1, 3*, 5
 
Hawai'i 4, LSU 1
1: Maglio/Schucht (UH) def. Claire Coppola/Kristen Nuss (LSU), 21-18, 21-18
2: Weaver/Kan (UH) def. Haleigh Nelson/Hunter Domanski (LSU), 21-17, 21-16
3: Martin/Monkhouse (UH) def. Emmy Allen/Maddie Ligon (LSU), 21-18, 15-21, 15-10
4: Ozee/Homayun (UH) def. Olivia Powers/Gina Tillis (LSU), 21-12, 22-20
5: Riley Young/Megan Davenport (LSU) def. Hi'ilawe Huddleston/Allyssah Fitterer (UH), 16-21, 26-24, 16-14
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 4*, 3, 5