Top-seeded Hawaii split its matches on the opening day of the Big West Women’s Beach Volleyball Championship on Friday and will face an elimination match in the double-elimination tournament today in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine had a bye in the first round on Friday and advanced in the winners’ bracket with a 4-1 victory over UC Davis. Brooke Van Sickle and Kaylee Glagau rallied from a set down and earned the clinching point with a 19-21, 21-13, 15-10 win over Colleen McGuire and Chelsea Maeglin.

The BeachBows closed the day with a 3-2 loss to host Cal Poly. The dual came down to the No. 2 flight where Cal Poly’s Jayelin Lombard and Piper Ferch rallied past Kylin Loker and Jaime Santer 13-21, 21-14, 15-13 to send the Mustangs into the final round.

Long Beach State and UC Davis open today’s play at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex with an elimination match. The survivor will face UH in another elimination match at 10:15 a.m. The winner of that match will have to defeat Cal Poly twice to claim the conference title.

The field for the NCAA tournament will be announced today at 3 p.m.

Wahine fall to Beach in pitchers duel

Long Beach State’s Samantha Fowler struck out 10 and won a duel with Hawaii freshman Brianna Lopez in a 1-0 Beach victory to open a Big West softball series on Friday in Long Beach, Calif.

Lopez held Beach to one hit, walked three and struck out seven but took the loss at LBSU Softball Complex.

Long Beach State scratched out the game’s lone run in the bottom of the fourth when Kara Snyder drew a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Rylie Seip advanced on a UH error and a sacrifice bunt and scored on Lilyanna Martinez’s ground out to third.

UH (18-16, 12-7 Big West) managed two hits against Fowler, both coming on second baseman Maya Nakamura singles. Fowler stranded two UH runners on base in the sixth and closed the seventh with her final two strikeouts of the afternoon.

UH and LBSU conclude their series with a doubleheader today starting at 10 a.m.

HPU sweeps Hawaii Hilo in softball

The Hawaii Pacific softball team swept Hawaii Hilo, winning 5-3 in 10 innings and 5-2 in six innings to close the season in Hilo on Friday.

Noel Saunders hammered a two-run homer in the top of the 10th inning to win it for the Sharks in the opener.

The second game was called after six innings due to a travel curfew that was affected by two rain delays.

The Sharks finished the season 24-26 overall and 17-15 in the Pacific West Conference while the Vulcans fell to 16-19 on the season and 12-14 in conference play.

Hawaii Hilo ends its season today with a doubleheader against Chaminade.