MALIBU, Calif.  – The top-seeded University of Hawaii women's beach volleyball team fell short of winning its fourth straight league title as No. 2 seed Cal Poly (25-10) dethroned the Rainbow Wahine (26-9) with a pair of wins Saturday in the Big West Tournament at Zuma Beach.
 
The Mustangs defeated UH, 4-1, on the opening match of the day before later out-lasting the SandBows, 3-2, in the title match.
 
In the first match of the day, the Mustangs defeated the SandBows, 4-1, handing UH its first Big West Tournament loss in 11 all-time matches. UH's lone point game on the No. 3 court where Morgan Martin and Pani Napoleon rallied for a three-set win over Jayelin Lombard and Kat Wright. The Mustangs won in straight sets on the other four courts, including Court 2 where Julia Scoles was unable to finish, giving Cal Poly the point.                
 
UH then played Long Beach State for a spot in the finals and a rematch with Cal Poly. With Scoles out, UH was forced to re-shuffle their lineup . Norene Iosia, seeing her first action of the seasons, joined Ari Homayun at the No. 4 flight and the newly-minted pair picked up a straight-set victory over Sydney Stevens and Claire Newlander. That win helped power UH to a 3-2 victory over the 49ers, the SandBows seventh straight win in the series over LBSU.
 
The SandBows got another shot at Cal Poly, needing two wins to keep their Big West title hopes alive. It was a nip-and-tuck affair. Cal Poly took Court 1 in straight sets and UH followed suit on Court 3. The remaining three courts all went the distance and after Homayun and Iosia rallied for another win on Court 4, it all came down to Court No. 5. Paige Dreeuws and Sofia Russo were in an epic battle with Vanessa Roscoe and Brayden Gruenewald with each team fighting off multiple match points to stay alive. In the end  Roscoe and Gruenewald came through with a  21-18, 19-21, 21-19 win to seal the title for Cal Poly.
 
UH now awaits word on a potential bid to the NCAA Tournament to be held May 3-5, in Gulf Shores, Ala. The NCAA selection show will be at 1:00 p.m. HT Sunday on NCAA.com.
 
Cal Poly 4, Hawai'I 1
1: Crissy Jones/Tia Miric (CP) def. Amy Ozee/Emily Maglio (UH), 21-14, 24-22
2: Emily Sonny/Macy Gordon (CP) def. Julia Scoles/Ari Homayun (UH), 21-15, 21-1 (Medical forfeit)
3: Morgan Martin/Pani Napoleon (UH) def. Jayelin Lombard/Kat Wright (CP), 18-21, 21-11, 15-12              
4: Delaney Peranich/Samantha Manley (CP) def. Hi'ilawe Huddleston/Kylin Loker (UH), 21-14, 21-14
5: Roscoe/Gruenewald (CP) def. Dreeuws/Russo (UH), 21-14, 21-19
Order of Finish: Doubles 2,4,5*,1,3
 
Hawai'i 3, Long Beach State 2
1: Ozee/Maglio (UH) def. Megan Kruidhof/Mari Molina (LBSU), 21-19, 21-13
2: Zoyia Konstantopoulou/Nicci Reinking (LBSU) def. Martin/Napoleon (UH), 17-21, 21-18, 15- 12
3: Huddleston/Loker (UH) def. Kendra Koelsch/Kenzie Holtz (LBSU), 21-14, 21-18
4: Homayun/Iosia (UH) def. Sydney Stevens/Claire Newlander (LBSU), 21-17, 21-15
5: Tyler Spriggs/Alexis Patterson (LBSU) def. Dreeuws/Russo (UH), 21-11, 19-21, 15-12
Order of Finish: 4,1,3*,5,2
 
Championship: Cal Poly 3, Hawai'i 2
1: Jones/Miric (CP) def. Ozee/Maglio (UH), 21-11, 21-9
2: Sonny/Gordon (CP) def. Martin/Napoleon (UH), 19-21, 21-17, 15-8
3: Huddleston/Loker (UH) def. Lombard/Wright (CP), 21-18, 21-17         
4: Homayun/Iosia (UH) def. Peranich/Manley (CP), 16-21, 21-19, 15-10
5: Roscoe/Gruenewald (CP) def. Dreeuws/Russo (UH), 21-18, 19-21, 21-19
Order of finish: 1,3,2,4,5*