Three signs posted against the side of the Ching Complex grandstands and overlooking the University of Hawaii’s beach volleyball courts commemorate the program’s accomplishments — Big West championships, NCAA Tournament appearances and All-Americans.
The first of the trio also provides a constant reminder of the gap following UH’s last Big West title and, by extension, the close calls since.
The decals on the banner stop at 2018, and the current Rainbow Wahine are aiming to leave their mark on the facility when they play host to the Big West Championships today and Saturday at Queen’s Beach in Waikiki.
“My sister has a couple stickers up on the wall,” UH senior Ilihia Huddleston said after playing her final matches on campus on Sunday. “So I’m really trying to be competitive and get at least one.”
Huddleston’s older sister, Hi‘ilawe, played for the BeachBows from 2015 to ’19 and was a member of three Big West title teams, starting with the inaugural tournament in 2016 and ending with the event’s last visit to Queen’s Beach in 2018.
Since then, the BeachBows have fallen to Cal Poly in the final round in each of the past three conference tournaments.
In 2021, UH advanced to the final round of the double-elimination bracket in Long Beach, Calif. Needing one win to clinch the title, the BeachBows dropped back-to-back 3-2 decisions, with the Mustangs pulling out a 17-15 third set in the final match of the dual.
Last year, the BeachBows worked back through the elimination bracket to advance to their sixth straight final, only to again fall to Cal Poly 3-2.
“We’re extremely motivated,” UH coach Evan Silberstein said. “We’ve been so close. … To smell it and not finish it, our seniors want it.. They’ve never had it before, so we’re really focused on doing exactly that, getting a Big West championship.”
Brooke Van Sickle is one of the six UH seniors looking to add a Big West title before leaving the program, and playing the tournament at Queen’s was an added bonus when she was granted a seventh year of college eligibility.
“Evan (said), ‘Guess what, Big West is at Queen’s this year,’ and I was, ‘No way,’” Van Sickle, recalled with a laugh.
“Being able to stay at home, being able to recover, not having to skip school, being able to stay on top of everything is really important, especially for a big tournament like this.”
UH, ranked eighth in the AVCA coaches poll, is 10-0 against Big West competition this season and was awarded the top seed in this weekend’s seven-team bracket. The BeachBows have the lone bye in the first round and will face fourth-seeded Cal State Bakersfield or fifth-seed Cal Poly today at 11:45 a.m. The winner of that match moves on to Saturday’s 9 a.m. semifinal. The championship round is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
The tournament’s survivor receives the Big West’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship, set for May 5-7 in Gulf Shores, Ala.
The BeachBows defeated Cal Poly and Long Beach State twice each in the Best in the West tournament March 4-5 in Laguna Beach, Calif., and went 6-0 at the Big West Challenge on March 25-26 at Cal Poly. All three of UH’s wins over second-seeded and 11th-ranked Long Beach State (20-14) went to 3-2 decisions.
Van Sickle and Kaylee Glagau enter the tournament 27-2 overall and 25-1 playing at UH’s No. 1 flight. Huddleston and Jaime Santer are 19-2, going 7-0 at the No. 3 flight and 12-1 at No. 4.
Kylin Loker and Riley Wagoner are 16-9 at No. 2 and the duo of Chandler Cowell and Sydney Miller have the most matches at the No. 5 flight, going 16-5.
Along with their comfort (relatively speaking) moving through the deep sand at Queen’s, the BeachBows are also looking forward to having familiar faces and voices lining the courts.
“The fans and the support and how well we know that beach is the biggest advantage for us,” Huddleston said.
Big West Beach Volleyball Championship
At Queen’s Beach
Schedule
Today
Match 1—No. 4 CSU Bakersfield vs. No. 5 Cal Poly, 8 a.m.
Match 2—No. 2 Long Beach State vs. No. 7 Sacramento State, 9:15 a.m.
Match 3—No. 3 UC Davis vs. No. 6 Cal State Northridge, 10:30 a.m.
Match 4—No. 1 Hawaii vs. Match 1 winner, 11:45 a.m.
Match 5—Match 2 winner vs. Match 3 winner, 1 p.m.
Match 6—Match 2 loser vs. Match 3 loser, 2:15 pm.
Match 7—Match 1 loser vs. Match 5 loser, 3:30 p.m.
Match 8—Match 4 loser vs. Match 6 winner, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday
Match 9—Match 4 winner vs. Match 5 winner, 9 a.m.
Match 10—Match 8 winner vs. Match 7 winner, 10:30 a.m.
Match 11 —Match 9 loser vs. Match 10 winner, noon
Match 12 —Match 9 winner vs. Match 11 winner, 1:30 p.m.
Match 13—Match 12 winner vs. Match 12 loser (if necessary), 3 p.m.
