No. 2 SandBows best Long Beach, Boise

The No. 2 University of Hawaii sand volleyball team rallied from an 0-2 deficit to down No. 6 Long Beach State on Saturday at the USA Volleyball Beach Collegiate Challenge in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine (12-1), who had 12 days off between competitions, followed their win over the 49ers with a 5-0 sweep of Boise State. The first day of competition closed with the first round of the pairs tournament, which continues Sunday.

The SandBows trailed early after the Beach delivered sweeps in the four and three pairings. Heather Boyan and Lara Schreiber lost to Andrea McHugh and Ciana Wagner 21-12, 21-17, then Hannah Rooks and Sammie Brown fell 21-18, 21-19 to Jenelle Hudson and Bre Mackie. UH, needing a win from each of its three remaining pairs, got just that, with two matches going the distance. Brittany Tiegs and Nikki Taylor finished off a 21-18, 15-21, 15-8 win in the top flight against Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Chelsea Cabrajac, while Katie Spieler and Olivia Urban beat Anete Brinke and Tyler Jackson at the two pairing, 21-16, 21-9.

The match hinged on the five flight, where Mikayla Tucker’s serving and Ka‘iwi Schucht’s defense lifted the ‘Bows to a 13-21, 22-20, 15-13 win over Rachel Nieto and Sammee Thomas.

UH water polo falls to UC Irvine

The No. 6 University of Hawaii women’s water polo team fell to No. 5 UC Irvine 7-6 on Saturday in Irvine, Calif.

The Rainbow Wahine (13-8, 2-2 Big West) took a shot on goal with 25 seconds left in the match, but Jillian Yocum’s 10th save of the day secured the Anteaters’ third conference win. UCI improved to 17-6 overall.

UH trailed 4-0 early, but rallied with six goals in the third and fourth periods to put the pressure on UC Irvine. Paula Chillida Esforzado led the Rainbow Wahine with two goals, while teammates Claire Nixon, Chloe Barr, Zoe Respondek, and Emily Carr scored one apiece.

HPU blitzes UH Hilo in baseball double dip

Hawaii Pacific swept visiting UH Hilo, 19-7 and 8-5, in a doubleheader played Saturday afternoon at Hans L’Orange Park.

The Sharks (17-18, 11-5 PacWest) exploded for 23 hits in the first contest, including five base knocks from James Carraway. The outfielder tripled and doubled twice while driving in four runs. The Vulcans (6-29, 4-22) were led at the plate by third baseman Samuel Kim, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and three RBIs.

HPU first baseman Nolan Barraza went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs to pace the home team in the second game, while Kim drove in two more runs.

Szadovski claims Kanaka Ikaika state title

Zsolt Szadovski managed steady tradewinds and a favorable tide to earn gold in Saturday’s Kanaka Ikaika Racing Association’s Scott Hawaii State Championship from Makapuu’s Makai Pier to Magic Island.

Szadovski posted a time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 25 seconds to capture the top spot in the surfski division.

In the men’s OC-1 division, Daniel Chun rallied past Jimmy Austin in a battle throughout the event’s last quarter-mile to claim the win. Lindsey Shank won the female OC-1 division over runner-up Amy Woodward by three minutes.

Billy Robello claimed the men’s SUP division, while Jane McKee won the female SUP title.

Ale Hedlund, a 17-year-old who was the only woman participating in the long course, captured the female surfski divison and Kai Hall took the prone paddleboard division.

Nearly 200 competitors entered the season-ending race, the finale of eight events held in the spring season.

Strength coach Ikei to speak at QB Club

Chad Ikei, five-time national champion weightlifter and owner of Ikei Sports Hawaii, will speak at the Honolulu Quarterback Club luncheon on Monday.

Ikei holds 21 national weightlifting records in two weight divisions and is an eight-time powerlifting world record holder. At age 17, while weighing 112 pounds, he set the record as the youngest and lightest athlete to record a bench press of 303 pounds while also becoming the first lifter to set the national record in Olympic weightlifting (snatch) and world record in powerlifting (bench press) within the same month.

Over the past 17 years, Ikei has trained more than 300 NFL players, including six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and five-time Pro Bowl safety Adrian Wilson. After spending 20 years living on the mainland, Ikei returned to Hawaii in August 2011 and helped develop the strength and conditioning program at Kaiser High School. The program would go on to win the Division IIstate football championship in 2013.

The $15 luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. and the program starts at noon.