BeachBows Open 2025 Season WIth Loss To ASU, Near Upset Of Top-Ranked USC

HONOLULU – The 12th-ranked University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team kicked off the 2025 season with a pair of losses in the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic Thursday at Queen's Beach. Hosting the top teams in the country, UH began round-robin action by falling to No. 11 Arizona State, 5-0, before nearly upsetting defending national champs and top-ranked USC, 3-2.

In the tournament opener, UH fell to Arizona State on all five courts. The Sun Devils won in straight sets on four of five courts. UH's No. 3 pair of Alana Embry and Sydney Miller were on the precipice of gaining UH's lone point, holding a 16-15 lead in the third set. But the duo of Tori Clement and Ava Kirunchyk rattled off the last three points to complete a season-opening sweep of the 'Bows. It marked the Sun Devils first-ever win over UH in nine all-time meetings.

In UH's second match of the day, the 'Bows turned things around dramatically. Unlike the slow start in the first match of the day, the BeachBows came out strong taking the first set on a pair of courts. USC took the first two points of the dual, but UH stormed back. Freshman Jasmine Wandeler and junior Jesse Mann put UH on the board with a straight set win over Madison Goellner and Ella Larkin at Court 4. When Sarah Burton and Caprice Lorenzo pulled out their own straight set win over Mabyn Thomas and Madison White at the top of the order, all of a sudden it was all knotted, 2-2.

It all came down to court No. 3 where Embry and Miller were engaged in a three-set battle with Kennedy Coakley and Ashley Pater. Embry and Miller held a 8-6 lead midway through the third and deciding set. But Coakley and Pater reeled off five straight points before eventually pulling out a 15-10 win that clinched the match for the three-time defending national champs.

The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic resumes on Friday morning, starting with a match between UH and No. 7 LMU at 8:30 a.m. The Rainbow Warriors will then face No. 3 UCLA at 11:00 a.m.

Arizona State 5, Hawai'i 0
1. Ava Williamson/Daniella Kensinger (ASU) def. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) 21-15, 21-16
2. Anya Pemberton/Olivia McElroy (ASU) def. Julia Lawrenz/Sydney Amiatu (UH) 21-13, 21-19
3. Clement/Kirunchyk (ASU) def. Embry/Miller (UH) 14-21, 21-17, 18-16
4. Ava Haughy/Arden Besecker (ASU) def. Mann/Wandeler (UH) 21-18, 21-18
5. Zoe Taylor/Kendall Whitmarsh (ASU) def. Ayva Moi/Amirah Ali (UH) 21-5, 21-17
Order of finish: 1,5,4*,2,3

USC 3 Hawai' 2
1. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) def. Thomas/Madison White (USC) 21-19, 21-18
2. Zoey Henson/Maya Gessner (USC) def. Julia Lawrenz/Sydney Amiatu (UH) 21-8, 21-19
3. Coakley/Pater (USC) def. Embry/Miller (UH) 21-13, 19-21, 15-10
4. Wandeler/Mann (UH) def. Goellner/Larkin (USC) 21-18, 21-17
5. Delaney Karl/Kaileigh Truslow (USC) def. Kristen Serrano/Sophie Buschmann (UH) 21-13, 21-12
Order of finish: 2,5,4,1,3*

Thursday's Results
ASU 5, UH 0
UCLA 4, TCU 1
USC 3, UH 2
LMU 3, Stanford 2
UCLA 4, ASU 1
TCU 3, Stanford 2
LMU 4, USC 1

Friday's Schedule
UH vs. LMU, 8:30 am
Stanford vs. USC, 9:45 am
UH vs. UCLA, 11:00 am
LMU vs. TCU, 12:15 pm
ASU vs. USC, 1:30 pm
Stanford vs. UCLA, 2:45 pm
TCU vs. ASU, 4:00 pm

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Players Mentioned

#4 Amirah Ali: 6' 2"; Junior

#14 Sydney Amiatu: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#21 Sarah Burton: 6' 0"; Junior

#44 Sophie Buschmann: 5' 11"; Sophomore

#8 Alana Embry: 5' 9"; Junior

#3 Julia Lawrenz: 6' 1"; Junior

#24 Caprice Lorenzo: 5' 9"; Junior

#9 Jesse Mann: 5' 11"; Junior

#11 Sydney Miller: 6' 0"; Junior

#0 Kristen Serrano: 5' 9"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#4 Amirah Ali
: 6' 2"; Junior

#14 Sydney Amiatu
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#21 Sarah Burton
: 6' 0"; Junior

#44 Sophie Buschmann
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

#8 Alana Embry
: 5' 9"; Junior

#3 Julia Lawrenz
: 6' 1"; Junior

#24 Caprice Lorenzo
: 5' 9"; Junior

#9 Jesse Mann
: 5' 11"; Junior

#11 Sydney Miller
: 6' 0"; Junior

#0 Kristen Serrano
: 5' 9"; Junior