HONOLULU  – The  10th-ranked University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team opened the 2022 season by splitting a pair of matches on the first day of the Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic Friday at Queen's Beach. UH swept Saint Mary's 5-0 before falling to No. 7 Stanford, 4-1.
 
In the opening match of the tournament, UH breezed past Saint Mary's, 5-0. The 'Bows earned straight set wins on four of five courts to complete the sweep. A pair of Rainbow Wahine made successful debuts for UH. Freshman Megan Widener teamed up with Jaime Santer for a 21-12, 21-19 win at the No. 2 flight. Meanwhile, grad transfer Sarah Penner paired up with Ilihia Huddleston for a 21-15, 21-19 win at the No. 4 court.
 
In UH's second match of the day, the 'Bows fell to the Cardinal (1-1) in a match closer than the final score indicated. Stanford led 2-1 in the dual, but UH forced a third set at the No. 1 and 3 courts and were on the verge of rallying past the Cardinal. However Xolani Hodel and Maddi Kriz turned back Brooke Van Sickle and Kaylee Glagau 15-12 in the final set, while Maya Harvey and Emmy Sharp (STAN) edged out Riley Wagoner and Kylin Loker 15-13. UH's lone point of the match came once again from the pair of Huddleston and Penner who defeated Maddie Dailey and Camdyn Doucet, 27-25, 21-15 on Court 4.
 
In the other two matches of the day, No. 2 UCLA defeated Stanford 4-1 and blanked Saint Mary's 5-0.
 
The Heineken Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic resumes on Saturday morning, starting with a showdown between UH and UCLA at 8:00 a.m. The championship bracket will start at approximately noon with the first of two semifinals, before the tournament finals commences at 4:00 p.m.
 
Hawai'i 5 Saint Mary's 0
1. Van Sickle/Glagau (UH) def. Jasmin Suarez/Jennifer Laird (SMC) 21-12, 21-12
2. Santer/Widener (UH) def. Makenna Joyce/Karmin Brown (SMC) 21-12, 21-19
3. Loker/Wagoner (UH) def. Chandler Cowell/Selbie Christensen (SMC) 20-22, 21-13, 15-12
4. Penner/Huddleston (UH) def. Aeriel Sundt/Trinity Durfee (SMC) 21-15, 21-19
5. Anna Maidment/Sofia Russo (UH) def. Megan Chandler/Kristen Erland (SMC) 21-10, 21-12
Order of Finish: 4,2,5,1,3
 
Stanford 4 Hawai'i 1
1. Hodel/Kriz (STAN) def. Van Sickle/Glagau (UH) 21-17, 18-21, 15-12
2. Charlie Ekstrom/Kate Reilly (STAN) def. Santer/Widener (UH) 21-16, 21-18
3. Harvey/Sharp (STAN) def. Wagoner/Loker (UH) 21-17, 18-21, 15-13
4. Penner/Huddleston (UH) def. Dailey/Doucet (STAN) 27-25, 21-15
5. Emma Morris/Taylor Wilson (STAN) def. Maidment/Russo (UH) 21-17, 21-19
Order of finish: 2,4,5,1,3