SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i women's beach volleyball team gets into postseason mode when it heads to the Big West Beach Volleyball Championship, April 23-24, hosted by Cal Poly at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. 

UH (17-12)  is the No. 3  seed for the third straight year and will open pool play versus No. 6 seed Sacramento State on Thursday, April 25 at 12:45 a.m. PT/9:45 a.m. HT.  The two-day Big West Championship event will again see a full day of modified pool play on Thursday before a six-team single elimination bracket play commences on Friday to crown a champion and automatic bid to  the NCAAs.

Host Cal Poly secured the top seed, followed by No. 2 Long Beach State, UH, No. 4 UC Davis, No. 5 CSUN, Sacramento State and No. 7 CSU Bakersfield. UH's pool includes Long Beach State, Sacramento State and CSU Bakersfield. If UH captures its pool by winning both of its matches on Thursday, they will earn a bye into Friday's championship semifinals. The Rainbow Wahine are seeking its fifth Big West title having last won in 2024 in Long Beach. 

The BeachBows, ranked 16th nationally, are on a season-long five match win streak and have won nine of their last 11 matches.

UH In the Big West Championship: UH is 24-10 (.706) all-time in the tournament and has claimed the tournament crown four times (2016, '17, '18, '24)...Cal Poly won three straight titles (2019, '21, '22) while Long Beach State has won twice (2023, '25)....seven of UH's 10 losses in the BWC have come to Cal Poly with UH going 24-3 against the rest of the field…UH has made the tournament finals in seven of nine editions with the exceptions in 2023 and '25. 

What's At Stake: This tournament winner gains an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, which is a 16-team field in 2026…there are eight automatic bids and eight at-large bids up for grabs this year…three Big West teams - No. 6 Cal Poly, No. 10 Long Beach State and No. 16 Hawa'i are currently ranked in the AVCA Poll…the NCAA selection show will be on Sunday, April 26 and 1 p.m. EDT/7 a.m. HT.,..the 2026 NCAA Championship will be held in Gulf Shores, Ala., May 1-3. 

Big West Review: All seven conference teams converged for the Big West Challenge, March 21-22, at Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach…UH went 4-2 during that weekend with convincing wins over CSU Bakersfield (5-0), UC Davis (4-1), Sacramento State (4-1) and CSUN (4-1)...the BeachBows losses came at the hands of then No. 11 Long Beach State (4-1) and then No. 3 Cal Poly (4-1).

'Bow Bits: UH has used a total of 25 different combinations this season…the number one pair of Julia Lawrenz and Izadora Stedile are the only duo to appear in all 29 matches together…Lawrenz and Stedile are 21-7 together this season (one match unfinished)…they are 19-6 at the top of the order, which they have occupied for the past 26 matches…freshman Kiera Cornman and Emily Heintzelman hold the best win percentage of any UH pair going 13-4 (.765) while playing at the No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 slots...UH pairs are a combined 24-28 in matches that go to three sets...UH has blanked six opponents, including two in its last three, while the 'Bows have been shutout 5-0 just once this year – versus then No. 5 Texas in the East Meets West Invitational on March 13.

All-Time Records vs the Field: The 'Bows are 12-0 against CSUN, including 2-0 in the BWC…the Matadors are led by former UH skipper Jeff Hall (2015-20)...UH is 13-1 against CSU Bakersfield with their first ever loss to the Roadrunners coming in last year's BWC opener…the 'Bows are 9-0 against Sacramento State, including a win in last year's BWC...UH is 13-1 all-time against UC Davis and have beaten them three times in the BWC, including, 3-2, in a BWC elimination match last year…the Aggies are led by former BeachBow and the school's all-time wins leader Ari Homayun…UH is 26-12 all-time against LBSU…the 'Bows have won 11 of 13 meetings versus the Beach in the BWC…the Beach eliminated the 'Bows, 3-0, in last year's BWC en route to the conference title...UH is 15-15 all-time against Cal Poly and have dropped it last five meetings against the Mustangs…UH is 3-7 against Cal Poly in the BWC.