MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.   – The No. 9 University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team concluded a two-week long road trip by splitting a pair of matches on day two of UCLA Invitational Sunday in Manhattan Beach. The Rainbow Wahine (17-10) were turned back by No. 6 LSU, 3-2, before bouncing back with a sweep of Utah. UH finished the two-day tournament with a  2-2 mark.
 
For the second time in the last four days, the 'Bows nearly took down a higher ranked squad when UH took on LSU. With the dual match tied 2-2, the 'Bows looked to complete the upset of the Tigers (21-5) on the No. 3 court.  After taking the first set, 21-16, Anna Maidment and Sofia Russo were two points from closing the deal in set two. But the dynamic duo couldn't replicate the clutch play that gave UH a 3-2 win over nationally-ranked FIU a day prior. Holly Carlton and Reilly Allred took the second set 21-19 and slipped past the UH pair 15-13 in the third and decisive set to cap a hard-fought battle.
 
In the second match of the day, the Rainbow Wahine had little trouble disposing of Utah. The BeachBows won in straight sets on all five courts, highlighted by a 21-9, 21-18 dismantling by Brooke Van Sickle and Kaylee Glagau over Sage Patchell and Amaya Messier at the No. 1 flight. UH remained unblemished all-time (5-0) against Utah, while putting a knot on its long trip having won seven of 12 matches. Four of UH's five losses on the road came at the hands of the No. 1, 2, 3, and No. 6 teams in the nation.
 
UH now returns to the islands for their final homestand of the season. The 'Bows will host top 10 teams Loyola Marymount and Grand Canyon in round-robin action on April 2 and 3 at the Ching Complex on the UH lower campus.
 
LSU 3, Hawai'i 2
1. Van Sickle/Glagau (UH) def. Bella Bauman/Parker Bracken (LSU) 13-21, 21-11, 21-19
2. Kelli Greene-Agnew/Kylie Deberg (LSU) def. Kylin Loker/Sarah Penner (UH) 21-14, 21-12
3. Holly Carlton/Reilly Allred (LSU) def. Maidment/Russo (UH) 16-21, 22-20, 15-13
4. Megan Widener/Jaime Santer (UH) def. Melia Lindner/Ashlyn Rasnick-Pope (LSU) 21-19, 14-21, 15-10
5. Grace Seits/Ellie Shank (LSU) def. Ilihia Huddleston/Riley Wagoner (UH) 21-15, 21-12
Order of finish: 2,4,5,1,3
 
Hawai'i 5, Utah 0
1. Van Sickle/Glagau (UH) def. Sage Patchell/Amaya Messier (UTAH) 21-9, 21-18
2. Loker/Penner (UH) def. Grace Andrews/Bella Vezzani (UTAH) 23-21, 21-14
3. Russo/Maidment (UH) def. Marissa Koch/Samantha Leight (UTAH) 21-17, 21-19
4. Santer/Widener (UH) def. Sommer Daniel/Lauren Sayre (UTAH) 21-13, 21-10
5. Huddleston/Wagoner (UH) def. Kylie Pitzak/Sydney Jacinto (UTAH) 21-19, 22-20
Order of finish: 4,2,1,5,3