BeachBows Upset Top-Ranked UCLA On Opening Day Of 2026 Season

HONOLULU – The Danny Alvarez era started with a bang as the 16th-ranked University of Hawai'i beach volleyball team upset preseason top-ranked UCLA, 3-2, to highlight the season-opening day of THE OUTRIGGER Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic Thursday at Queen's Beach.

After battling No. 6 Texas in a 3-2 setback earlier in the afternoon, the Rainbow Wahine bounced back to take down the Bruins as twilight hit Queen's Beach. It was just UH's second-ever win over a top-ranked team in 19 tries and first since defeating No.1 Pepperdine in 2015.

Under the new leadership of Alvarez, a long-time assistant who took over as head coach last summer, the 'Bows showed patience and resilience. UH fell behind, 2-0, in the dual match, but stormed back to win the final three courts, capped by a three-set thriller as Kristen Serrano and Kiera Cornman out-lasted Mallory LaBreche and Hannah Fleming on court 5.

Serrano, a three-year veteran from Guam, and Cornman, a freshman sensation from New York, defeated the UCLA pair by a score of 21-16, 15-21, 15-13. That win was preceded by a straight-set victory by Julia Lawrenz and Izadora Stedile on court 2 and a three-set nailbiter won by Sophie Buschmann and Julia Thelle at court 3.

The win over UCLA ended a 15-match series slide against the Bruins, including multiple close losses in the NCAA Tournament. The 'Bows last beat UCLA, 5-0, at the Ching Complex in 2018.

The Brazilian pair of Lawerenz and Stedile were the lone UH pair to go 2-0 on the day. UH dropped its season-opening match versus Texas but was able to grab a pair of points off the Longhorns thanks in part to Lawrenz and newcomer Stedile. Stedile, who just joined the team last month after an All-American indoor campaign at Hofstra, teamed with the veteran Lawrenz to rally past sisters Anna and Kacka Pavelkova for the team's first point of the season on court 2. After falling 21-10 in the first set, the duo rallied, taking the second set 22-20 and clinching with a 15-9 win in set 3.

UH also got a three-set win from senior Sydney Miller and her partner, newcomer Emily Heintzelman, a transfer from Tulane, over Ella Keeven and Lily Davis. It wasn't enough as the Longhorns took the match 3-2, but it set the stage for UH's comeback effort against the Bruins.

The OUTRIGGER Duke Kahanamoku Beach Classic resumes on Friday morning. UH will take on No. 4 USC at 9:45 a.m. before facing No. 2 Stanford at 12:15 p.m.

Texas 3 Hawai'i 2
1. Brecht Piersma/Katie Hashman (TEX) def. Sarah Burton/Caprice Lorenzo (UH) 21-9, 21-16
2. Lawrenz/Stedile (UH) def. Anna Pavelkova/Kacka Pavelkova (TEX) 10-21, 22-20, 15-9
3. Emma Grace Robertson/Savannah Thomas def. Buschmann/Thelle (UH) 21-16, 21-12
4. Heintzelman/Miller (UH) def. Ella Keeven/Lily Davis (TEX) 22-20, 19-21, 15-10
5. Macey Butler/Noa Sonnevile (TEX) def. Serrano/Cornman (UH) 25-23, 21-17
Order of finish: 1, 3, 5, 2*, 4

UCLA 3 Hawai'i 2
1. Sally Perez/Maggie Boyd (UCLA) def. Burton/Lorenzo (UH) 21-14, 21-8
2. Lawrenz/Stedile (UH) def. Alexa Fernandez/Cassie Dodd (UCLA), 21-10, 21-9
3. Buschmann/Thelle (UH) def. Kaley Matthews/Ensley Alden (UCLA) 18-21, 21-17, 15-10
4. Ava Williamson/Harper Cooper (UCLA) def. Heintzelman/Miller (UH), 21-15, 21-14
5. Serrano/Cornman (UH) def. LaBreche/Fleming (UCLA) 21-16, 15-21, 15-13
Order of finish: 1, 4, 2, 3, 5*

Thursday's Results
Stanford 3, Cal 2
UCLA 5, Texas 0
USC 3, Stanford 2
LMU 3, Cal 2
Texas 3, Hawaii 2
USC 4, LMU 1
UH 3, UCLA 2

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

#HawaiiBVB

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Players Mentioned

#21 Sarah Burton: 6' 0"; Junior

#44 Sophie Buschmann: 5' 11"; Sophomore

#3 Julia Lawrenz: 6' 1"; Junior

#24 Caprice Lorenzo: 5' 9"; Junior

#11 Sydney Miller: 6' 0"; Junior

#0 Kristen Serrano: 5' 9"; Junior

#5 Julia Thelle: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#8 Kiera Cornman: 5' 10"; Freshman

#4 Emily Heintzelman: 6' 1"; Graduate Student

#6 Izadora Stedile: 5' 7"; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#21 Sarah Burton
: 6' 0"; Junior

#44 Sophie Buschmann
: 5' 11"; Sophomore

#3 Julia Lawrenz
: 6' 1"; Junior

#24 Caprice Lorenzo
: 5' 9"; Junior

#11 Sydney Miller
: 6' 0"; Junior

#0 Kristen Serrano
: 5' 9"; Junior

#5 Julia Thelle
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

#8 Kiera Cornman
: 5' 10"; Freshman

#4 Emily Heintzelman
: 6' 1"; Graduate Student

#6 Izadora Stedile
: 5' 7"; Graduate Student