BeachBows Complete Pool Play At Big West Championship

SANTA MONICA, Calif. —The University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team went 1-1 in pool play to kick off the 2025 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship Thursday at Ocean Park h in Santa Monica. The No. 3 seed Rainbow Wahine were upset by No. 6 CSU Bakersfield, 3-2, to open the day before rebounding with a 4-1 win over Sacramento State.

With the conclusion of pool play, UH will next face No. 5 seed UC Davis to open up single-elimination bracket play on Friday at 9:45 a.m. PT/6:45 a.m. HT. The winner of that match will advance to the tournament semifinals where No. 2 seed Long Beach State awaits.

The BeachBows, who entered as the defending champions, got off to a rough start with a loss to the Roadrunner (11-23). UH took a 2-1 dual match lead on the strength of wins by Sydney Miller and Sophie Buschmann and the new pairing of Amirah Ali and Jasmine Wandeler at the No. 2 court.

But CSUB picked up three-set wins on the No. 3 and 5 courts to defeat UH for the first in 12 all-time meetings. It was also just the fifth loss ever for UH in 162 all-time matches versus unranked opponents and first since falling to Cal Poly in the 2023 Big West semifinals.

In an elimination match later in the day, the BeachBows brushed off their upset loss with a 4-1 win over seventh-seeded Sacramento State. Sarah Burton and Caprice Lorenzo bounced back from their three-set loss earlier in the day with an empathic 21-8, 21-8 win over Karlie Sphon and Greta Davis to set the tone. UH won three of the next four courts, including three-set wins by Alana Embry and Julia Lawrenz at No. 1 and Sydney Amiatu and Kristen Serrano at No. 5 to atone for their setbacks against CSUB. UH improved to 8-0 all-time against the Hornets.

CSUB 3 Hawai'i 2
1. Ella Erteltova/Vivi Kaelin (CSUB) def. Embry/Lawrenz (UH) 23-21 21-18
2. Ali/Wandeler (UH) def. Peola Caten/Sarah Martin (CSUB) 21-11 21-12
3. Katey Milne/Ella Ensign (CSUB) def. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) 21-19 17-21 15-9
4. Buschmann/Miller (UH) def. Olivia Ostler/Vianna Garcia (CSUB) 19-21 21-10 15-13
5. Oliv Silacci-Jensen/Brooklynn Thomas (CSUB) def. Amiatu/Serrano (UH) 21-14 17-21 15-8
Order of finish: 2,1,4,5,3

Hawai'i 4, Sacramento State 1
1. Embry/Lawrenz (UH) def. Caitlin Volkmann and Bridgette Smith (SAC) 21-17, 19-21, 18-16
2. Ashlynn Archer/Ellie Tisko (SAC) def. Ali/Wandeler (UH) 22-20, 21-17
3. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) def. Spohn/Davis (SAC) 21-8, 21-8
4. Buschmann and Miller (UH) def. Victoria Marthaler/Mia Guevara (SAC) 21-17, 21-15
5. Amiatu/Serrano (UH) def. Hailey Plugge/Reese Ampi (SAC) 19-21, 21-11, 15-13
Order of finish: 3,4 2, 5, 1

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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

#11 Sydney Miller: 6' 0"; Junior

#0 Kristen Serrano: 5' 9"; Junior

#12 Jasmine Wandeler: 6' 1"; Freshman

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

#11 Sydney Miller
: 6' 0"; Junior

#0 Kristen Serrano
: 5' 9"; Junior

#12 Jasmine Wandeler
: 6' 1"; Freshman