HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – The University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball team kicked off the 2026 fall slate at the Surf City Collegiate Challenge in Huntington Beach, Calif.,  this past weekend with numerous BeachBows making their collegiate debuts.

Some of the best teams in collegiate beach volleyball converged on Huntington Beach with bids still up for grabs for the upcoming AVCA Pairs National Championships in Huntsville, Ala. in mid-November. UH pair Kiera Cornman and Summer Witherby secured one of those bids with three victories at the Surf City Challenge, two coming in bracket play. 
 
Seven Rainbow Wahine pairs competed across three divisions at the two-day tournament, with the top AVCA Bid/Championship Division competing for spots at the AVCA Pairs Championships. In all, UH had an impressive showing with three pairs finishing in the top 20 (10th, 15th and 19th) out of 100 tandems.

Cornman and Witherby were one of three UH pairs to compete in the Bids Division. Cornman and Witherby bounced back from a 1-2 record in pool play, taking down Cal pair Grace Hong and Amelia Vugrincic 11-21, 21-13, 15-8 in the first round of the Silver Playoff Bracket and UCLA pair Cora Loomer and Alina Ryan 21-16, 21-18 in the semifinals to earn their place in the Silver Bracket finals. Cornman and Witherby dropped a close three-set loss to LBSU pair Tineke Hinton and Demi Wagdy 21-16, 16-21, 15-13 in the finals, but secured their bid to the AVCA Pairs Championships.

Ella Gray and Delaney Singleton, also competing in the Bids Division, went 2-1 in pool play with wins over Mahala Esser and Abby Lewis (LBSU) and Nya Crump and Bella Reyes (SMC), before falling in two matches in bracket play.

Sophie Buschmann and Julia Thelle were the final pair in the Bids Division going 1-2 in pool play before making a run as the eighth-seeded team in the Bronze Playoff Bracket. Buschmann and Thelle beat Boise State duo Keira Demirjian and Kate McDonald 21-18, 20-22, 15-11 in the first round, then fell to St. Marys' pair Crump and Reyes in the semifinals. Buschmann and Thelle finished strong with a 21-14, 21-19 win over Oregon's Mia McGrath and Teagan Wilson in the third-place Game.

Sadie Kocur and Ayva Moi secured three victories in the College AA Division, including a 19-21, 21-19, 15-12 win over Cal's Macey Butler and Sara Gyepes in the opening round of the Gold Playoff Bracket. Lauren Brasell and Ella Hughes went 1-4 in the AA Division, with a 21-18, 30-28 victory over LBSU pair Nicole Lankton and Anabell Redaelli.
 
The UH pairs of Stefania Alupei/Milan Ray and Sarah Holcomb/Jada Souza each went 3-2 respectively in the College A Division, both going 2-1 in pool play before splitting matches in the Silver Playoff Bracket.

Cornman and Witherby will head to Huntsville for the AVCA Pairs Championships, Nov. 6-8 before joining the rest of the team in preparing for the Oakberry Wahine Beach Classic at Queens Beach on November 12-14.
 
Full Results
AVCA Championship Bid Division
Pool Play
Alexa Fernandez/Mallory Breche (UCLA) def. Cornman/Witherby (UH) 21-13, 21-17
Cornman/Witherby (UH) def. Jess Horwath/Kenzie Hultquist (FSU) 21-12, 21-18
Katrena Koellner/Sofia Taylor (ORE) def. Cornman/Witherby (UH) 21-19, 21-19
 
Gray/Singleton (UH) def. Mahala Esser/Abby Lewis (LBSU) 21-13, 21-13
Gray/Singleton (UH) def. Nya Crump/Bella Reyes (SMC) 21-17, 21-11
Emma Donley/Julia Sprecher (CAL) def. Gray/Singleton (UH) 17-21, 21-15, 15-7
 
Cora Loomer/Alina Ryan (UCLA) def. Buschmann/Thelle (UH) 21-18, 21-16
Giselle Lau/Savanna Lau (CAL) def. Buschmann/Thelle (UH) 19-21, 21-18, 15-10
Buschmann/Thelle (UH) def. Niki Egan/Hanna Lengkey (SD) 21-16, 21-18
 
Silver Playoffs
1st Rd: MayMay Brown/Shayla Martinez (WAS) def. Gray/Singleton (UH) 15-21, 21-19, 15-11
1st Rd: Cornman/Witherby (UH) def. Grace Hong/Amelia Vugrincic (CAL) 11-21, 21-13, 15-8
SF: Cornman/Witherby (UH) def. Cora Loomer/Alina Ryan (UCLA) 21-16, 21-18
F: Tineke Hinton/Demi Wagdy (LBSU) def. Cornman/Witherby (UH) 21-16, 16-21, 15-13
Con: Kennedy Coakley/Liva Ebere (USC) def. Gray/Singleton (UH) 21-17, 19-21, 15-13
 
Bronze Playoffs
1st Rd: Buschmann/Thelle (UH) def. Keira Demirjian/Kate MacDonald (BOI) 21-18, 20-22, 15-11
SF: Nya Crump/Bella Reyes (SMC) def. Buschmann/Thelle (UH) 17-21, 17-21
3rd Place: Buschmann/Thelle (UH) def. Mia McGrath/Teagan Wilson (ORE) 21-14, 21-19
 
College AA Division
Pool Play
Sadie Kocur/Ayva Moi (UH) def. Randi Reeves/Unknown (SMC) 21-15, 22-20
Kocur/Moi (UH) def. Mahlia Priestley 21-18, 21-18
Bella Satterwhite/Quincy Stephens (USC) def. Kocur/Moi (UH) 21-16, 21-17
Macy Bolyard/Kerry Keefe (USC) def. Brasell/Hughes (UH) 21-19, 21-17
Brasell/Hughes (UH) def. Nicole Lankton/Anabelle Redaelli 21-18, 30-28
Evie Doezema/Ginevra Merlini (PEPP) def. Brasell/Hughes (UH) 21-19, 21-17
 
Gold Playoffs
1st Rd: Kocur/Moi (UH) def. Macey Butler/Sarah Gyepes (CAL) 19-21, 21-19, 15-12
2nd Rd: Emma Champagne/Kara Namimatsu (USC) def. Kocur/Moi (UH) 21-18, 22-24, 15-10
Con: Alexandra Adishian/Sofia Williams (CAL) def. Kocur/Moi (UH) 21-14, 21-19
 
Silver Playoffs
Ava Rogers/Hayden Smith (CSUN) def. Brasell/Hughes (UH) 21-18, 21-16
Bella Amey/Julia Anisimova (CAL) def. Brasell/Hughes (UH) 21-19, 22-20
 
College A Division
Pool Play
Alupei/Ray (UH) def. Sara Dukes/Keely McIlroy (MCC) 23-21, 21-18
Alupei/Ray (UH) def. Eva Fisher/Leah Van Wyngarden 21-10, 21-14
Kate Danielson/Ellis Hay (WAS) def. Alupei/Ray (UH) 21-14, 21-18
 
Holcomb/Souza (UH) def. Lauren Lee/Taylor Soule (CUI) 21-14, 21-13
Holcomb/Souza (UH) def. Sydney King/Jill Rodig (CSUN) 23-21, 21-19
Mahala Huntsman/Savai Kilaulani (MCC) def. Holcomb/Souza (UH) 21-9, 21-14
 
Silver Playoffs
Eva Deninger/Arianna Lonardi (LBSU) def. Holcomb/Souza (UH) 17-21, 21-17, 15-5
Holcomb/Souza (UH) def. Grace Fogel/Alexia Heyn (USC) 21-16, 21-9
Luna Ingaramo/Vivian Roberts (BOI) def. Alupei/Ray (UH) 21-17, 21-14
Alupei/Ray (UH) def. Jayda Tupea/Jordan Vander Veen (CUI) 21-12, 21-16