MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – After a being idle in Week 2 of the season, the No. 5 University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team returns to action this weekend when it competes in the East Meets West Invitational in Manhattan Beach, Calif., March 9-10.
 
It will be a challenging tournament for the Rainbow Wahine, who face four ranked squads, including a trio of top ten teams. UH (2-2) will face No. 19 TCU and No. 4 Florida State on Saturday, before taking on No. 9 Florida International and No. 6 LSU ON Sunday.
 
This will be the second straight year that the SandBows compete in the event which pits the top teams from opposite ends of the country against each other at Manhattan Beach Pier. The Bows went 3-1 in last year's tournament while facing the same opponents with the lone loss coming against Florida State. UH is undefeated all-time against TCU (4-0), LSU (2-0), and Florida International (4-0).
 
UH will enter the tournament having already played two of the top three teams in the nation in its opening Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic, Feb. 23-Feb. 24. The Rainbow Wahine fell to No. 1 UCLA and then-No. 4 Pepperdine, while defeating Saint Mary's and then-No. 11 Stanford.
 
Following its road trip, UH will return home to host the Heneiken Hawaii Invitational, March 16-17, at Queens Beach.
 
East Meets West Invitational
March 9        vs. No. 19 TCU (7:30 a.m. HT)   
                      vs. No. 4 Florida State (12:30 p.m. HT)   
March 10      vs. No. 9 Florida International (6 a.m. HT)
                       vs. No. 6 LSU (10 a.m. HT)