LOS ANGELES – In their first mainland matches of the season, the No. 3 University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team split a pair of matches against No. 4 UCLA and No. 17 Loyola Marymount Thursday at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center. UH fell to UCLA, 4-1, before defeating LMU, 3-2, in the second match.
 
UCLA (6-3) proved a familiar foe as UH (4-2) met them for the third time in the team's first five matches. The team's split a pair of matches in Honolulu, including a dominate 5-0 win by UH. The Bruins looked to return the favor this time taking a 4-0 lead. UH, however, avoided a sweep when Morgan Martin and Lea Monkhouse rallied for a 15-21, 21-11, 15-12 win over  Madi Yeomans and Elise Zappia.
 
UH rebounded in the second match against LMU (4-3), but it wasn't easy. Allyssah Fitterer and Hi'ilawe Huddleston—in their first official match of the season—got UH off to a good start with a straight set win at the No. 5 court. But the Lions took two of the next three flights to knot it up 2-2. It came down to the No. 3 flight, and Martin and Monkhouse came through with the clinching point after a 21-18, 21-12 win over Chloe Reinig and Kekai Whitford.
 
Up next for the Rainbow Wahine is the East Meets West Challenge, March 10-11 at Manhattan Beach Pier. The SandBows will take on four ranked squads from the East over the weekend, highlighted by matchup versus No. 5 Florida State on Saturday.

UCLA 4, Hawai'i 1
1. Nicole McNamara/Megan McNamara (UCLA) def. Carly Kan/Laurel Weaver (UH), 16-21, 21-15, 15-11
2. Sarah Sponcil/Lily Justine (UCLA) def. Emily Maglio/Kai'iwi Schucht (UH) 21-18, 21-14
3. Martin/Monkhouse (UH) def. Madi Yeomans/Elise Zappia (UCLA)  15-21, 21-11, 15-12
4. Megan Muret/Izzy Carey (UCLA) def. Ari Homayun/Amy Ozee (UH) 21-19, 21-18
5. Zana Muno/Savvy Simo (UCLA) def. Paige Dreeuws/Hannah Zalopany (UH) 21-9, 21-15
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 1, 2, 3
 
Hawai'i 3, Loyola Marymount 2
1: Weaver/Kan (UH) def. Savannah Slattery/McKayla Ferris (LMU), 21-17, 21-17
2: Sara Kovac/Jessie Prichard (LMU) def. Schucht/Maglio (UH), 21-18, 21-17
3: Monkhouse/Martin (UH) def.  Chloe Reinig/Kekai Whitford (LMU) 21-18, 21-12
4: Veronica Nederend/Maddie Leiphardt (LMU) def. Ozee/Homayun (UH) 21-15, 18-21, 15-13
5: Fitterer/Huddleston (UH) def. Bozena Culo/Emma Doud (LMU) 24-22, 21-17
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 1, 2, 3