HONOLULU – The No. 16 University of Hawai"i beach volleyball team and No. 15 Long Beach State wrapped up their three-match series by splitting a pair of matches Saturday at the Clarence T.C. Ching Courts. Long Beach State clipped UH, 3-2 in the first match, before the Rainbow Wahine turned the tables with a 3-2 win of their own to round out the double-header.  
 
Coupled with their 3-2 win on Thursday, the Rainbow Wahine (7-5) took two of three over the weekend against the Beach (11-9) in what turned out to be tightly-contested trio of matches. The pair of Kylin Loker and Harlee Kekauoha shined for the BeachBows, going a perfect 3-0 on the weekend, including a pair of wins on Saturday. The duo swept Makenzie Griffin and Kenzie Holtz in all three match-ups while not dropping a single set all weekend.
 
In the first match of the day, LBSU picked up a tight 3-2 win with the final point hinging on the top flight. UH got a point at flight 3 from Loker and Keakauoha and another one at flight 5 where the pair of Anna Maidment and Sofia Russo picked up a two-set win over Emily Matton and Jillian Rodriguez, a win propelled by an epic 32-30 decision in the first set. Ultimately though UH could not close it out as the No. 1 pair of Mari Molina and Tyler Spriggs defeated Pani Napoleon and Jaime Santer 21-19, 17-21, 15-10.
 
In the second match, UH provided less drama in their victory. After LBSU took the first point of the match at flight 5, the BeachBows reeled off three straight points to clinch the dual. The pivotal win came at the No. 4 flight from Kaylee Glagau and Ilihia Huddleston who rebounded from a 21-6, 21-13 thrashing in the first match to outlast Skyler Germann and Alice Pratesi 21-12, 13-21, 15-13. That tied the dual up and set the table for straight set wins by Loker and Kekaoha at flight 3 and Van Sickle and Igiede at flight 2 to seal the deal. Van Sickle and Igiede had a bounce back of their own, recovering from a straight set loss to Nicci Reinking and Katie Kennedy earlier in the day to clinch the second match for UH with a  21-18, 21-17 victory.
 
The BeachBows will be back in action next weekend when they host another Big West rival in the form of No. 5 Cal Poly. The team will play a trio of dual matches on April 9 and 10 and compete in a pairs tournament on April 11 at the Ching Courts.  
 
Long Beach State 3, UH 2
1. Molina/Spriggs (LBSU) def. Napoleon/Santer (UH) 21-19, 17-21, 15-10
2. Reinking/Kennedy (LBSU) def. Igiede/Van Sickle (UH) 21-17, 21-12
3. Loker/Kekauoha (UH) def. Griffin/Holtz (LBSU) 21-17, 21-15 UH
4. Germann/Pratesi (LBSU) def. Glagau/Huddleston (UH) 21-6, 21-13
5. Maidment/Russo (UH) def. Matton/Rodriguez (LBSU) 32-30, 21-17
Exh: Hanna Farnsworth/Claire Newlander (LBSU) def. Lea Kruse/Riley Wagoner  21-17, 21-19
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 2, 3, 1*
 
UH 3, Long Beach State 2
1. Molina/Spriggs (LBSU)  def. Napoleon/Santer (UH) 21-19, 21-17
2. Igiede/Van Sickle (UH) def. Reinking/Kennedy (LBSU) 21-18, 21-17
3. Loker/Kekauoha (UH) def. Griffin/Holtz (LBSU) 21-15, 21-15
4. Glagau/Huddleston (UH) def. Germann/Pratesi (LBSU)  21-12, 13-21, 15-13
5. Matton/Rodriguez (LBSU) def. Maidment/Russo (UH) 21-16, 20-22, 15-13
Order of Finish: 5, 4, 3, 2*, 1