Get mad. Then get even.
Hawaii lost a heart-breaker to nemesis UCLA 3-2 to open the NCAA beach volleyball championship tournament Friday morning in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Rainbow Wahine then had the ultimate revenge on Big West rival Cal Poly in the afternoon by eliminating the Mustangs 3-0.
The victory over Cal Poly was Hawaii’s first in four meetings this season and lifted the SandBows into today’s losers bracket semifinal against eighth-seeded Stetson. Due to weather concerns, the NCAA has moved up all matches by four hours, with Hawaii and Stetson now playing at 5 a.m.
The Hatters upset top-seeded USC to open the eight-team event on Friday but dropped into the losers bracket when they fell to fifth-seeded LSU 3-2.
UCLA and LSU are the only unbeatens in the double-elimination tourney and meet in today’s winners bracket semifinal. The winner advances to Sunday’s final. Perennial power Pepperdine and Cal Poly are on their way home; the Waves ousted by USC 3-0.
“It’s brutal,” Hawaii coach Jeff Hall said in a telephone call. “To have two West Coast teams going home first is a first for this tournament.
“And for us against Cal Poly … we were highly motivated. The best time to win is right now.”
NCAA beach volleyball championshipAt Gulf Shores, Ala. Through Sunday, Gulf Shores, Ala. Double-elimination (except for championship)
Today
>> Elimination bracket second round (loser out)
1. USC (29-5) vs. 3. Florida State (29-6), 4 a.m.
7. Hawaii (27-10) vs. 8. Stetson (30-9), 5 a.m.
>> Elimination bracket semifinals
Second-round winners, 7 a.m. (winner to Sunday’s losers bracket final)
>> Winners bracket semifinal
2. UCLA (33-3) vs. 5. LSU (31-6), 6 am. (winner to Sunday’s final, loser to Sunday’s losers bracket final)
Sunday
Losers bracket final, 4:30 a.m.
Championship, 8 a.m.
TV: Today, losers bracket ESPN2; winners bracket, ESPN; Sunday, losers bracket final, ESPN2; championship, ESPN.
Online: All courts of all duals, ESPN3.
The SandBows (27-10) were looking to top the Bruins for the first time in four NCAA tournament meetings. Hawaii came within inches of doing so with the dual against UCLA tied 2-2 and the deciding point up for grabs at Flight 1.
Hawaii’s Emily Maglio and Amy Ozee’s battle with UCLA twins Megan and Nicole McNamara included 12 ties in Set 3. Both pairs had several match points, the last for the SandBows at 18-17.
After the Bruins tied it at 18, it appeared that Ozee’s corner shot hit the back line for what would have been another match point for Hawaii. Instead, it was ruled out and, rather than having an official walk over to confirm whether the ball was in or out, the lead referee ruled the call would stand. It gave UCLA its last chance to end it and Maglio’s high bump-set return sailed just long.
Hall said the incident creates an opportunity to have a discussion with the NCAA officials. Since every dual is televised and with 87 cameras on-site, “There’s no reason we couldn’t (have) added a monitor for a challenge system. We all just want to get the call right.
“But I’m proud of our players. We were in control against Cal Poly. And now we get to play Stetson. Their coach, Christina Hernandez, (and I) are dear friends but competitors Saturday.”
The SandBows rebounded from the loss to the Bruins by taking the first three flights against the Mustangs in straight sets. The clinching point came at Flight 2 when Ari Homayun-Julia Scoles swept Macy Gordon-Emily Sonny 21-19, 21-17.
The last time the pairs faced each other was on April 27 in the Big West semifinal, when Hawaii conceded the contest due to a back injury to Scoles at the beginning of Set 2.
On Friday, Flights 1 and 5 were going to three sets but were left unfinished after the SandBows claimed the deciding third point.
