Three was the number for Hawaii on Sunday when being selected for this week’s NCAA beach volleyball championship tournament in Alabama.
The Rainbow Wahine (35-3) matched their seed (3) with their national ranking in making their third consecutive appearance. The SandBows, who won their third straight Big West title on Saturday, head to Gulf Shores tonight.
Hawaii takes a 30-match winning streak into its Friday opener (7 a.m Hawaii time) against No. 6 seed South Carolina (24-7). The SandBows defeated the host Gamecocks 3-2 on March 24 in Columbia, S.C.
Hawaii watched the selection show online at Queen’s Beach, site of the Big West Pairs Tournament. Two things immediately stood out when looking at the bracket: the SandBows are in the bracket with second-seeded Pepperdine (24-3) and on the opposite side from No. 1 seeded UCLA and three-time defending national champion USC; and they are the only Big West team in the field.
The eight-team field has a mandated three teams from the West and three from the East. There are two at-large berths — one going to USC — but it had been anticipated that a second Big West team would be selected based on the criteria the coaches were given.
The committee went with 10th-ranked Florida International (22-10) instead of either fourth-ranked Cal Poly (27-7) or sixth-ranked Long Beach State (26-8). The other East teams are fourth-seeded Florida State (30-6) and seventh-seeded LSU (26-12).
“It was expected in that we thought we’d either be a 2 or a 3 seed,” Hawaii coach Jeff Hall said. “We’re in and that’s all that matters for us.
“I’m disappointed that they gave (the second at-large) to an East Coast team. It’s not right.
“Again, leave it to a committee and they’re going to find a way to make it work for whatever their agenda is. The strength was on the West Coast this season by a long shot.”
Both Long Beach State and Cal Poly had their seasons ended twice on the sands of Queen’s Beach, first on Saturday when finishing second and third, respectively, in the Big West tournament. The second came via Sunday’s committee decision.
“We’ll be gracious losers, come back next year with more fire so we can be in the top four, that’s something we can control,” 49ers coach Mike Campbell said, his team losing to Hawaii in Saturday’s Big West finale. “We’re hoping to get a response from the selection committee as to what the deciding factor was to choose a couple of teams over us.
“I’m anxious to hear what they have to say, picking teams outside of the top six. Cal Poly and us have been playing really good volleyball. I felt confident that our team made the best argument (beating Cal Poly twice in the conference tournament). I wish the committee would have acknowledged that a little more.”
Both Campbell and Mustangs coach Todd Rogers took the higher road, saying that a fourth East team reflected the desire to grow the sport.
“We had the strongest conference, based on our peers’ judgment, the coaches poll,” said Rogers, who is on the selection committee. “Everyone had solid arguments (for selection) and I’m not going to make arguments against them.”
It seemed fitting that the pairs final came down to duos from Cal Poly (ninth-seeded Torrey Van Winden-Tia Miric) and Long Beach State (fourth-seeded Nele Barber-Sasha Karelov). Van Winden-Miric won the marathon match, 17-21, 21-18, 15-9, ending the collegiate careers of the two 49er seniors.
“I thought we worked really hard this weekend to put us in the running for selection,” Miric said. “It sucks that the committee doesn’t think we were worthy, but in our eyes, we were.
“I thought both of us were in the running,” Barber added. “That neither of us made it was weird to see.”
Van Winden, a sophomore, and Miric, a freshman, eliminated Hawaii’s last remaining pair — third-seeded Hannah Zalopany and Morgan Martin — 21-16, 22-20, to advance to the final. Zalopany was a last-minute substitute for Martin’s regular partner Lea Monkhouse, the decision made to rest Monkhouse’s shoulder for the NCAA tournament.
“It was a really emotional day for us as a team and a pair, knowing we weren’t going to ’Bama as we thought all season,” Van Winden said. “Knowing this was our last opportunity to win something big together really helped us through the day.”
Notes
Hawaii senior Ka‘iwi Schucht passed Katie Spieler for No. 2 in overall wins with 103 when Schucht and Emily Maglio opened Sunday’s pairs tournament with a 21-14, 21-14 sweep of Sacramento State’s Kennedy Kurtz and Sarah Davis. Nikki Taylor holds the UH program record with 105.
BIG WEST PAIRS TOURNAMENT
At Queen’s Beach
First Round
1. Emily Maglio/Ka’iwi Schucht (UH) def. 16. Kennedy Kurtz/Sarah Davis (SacSt) 21-14, 21-14
9. Adlee Van Winden/Taylor Nelson (CP) def. 8. Aeryn Owens/Katie Sato (CSUN) 21-17, 24-22
2. Torrey Van Winden/Tiadora Miric (CP) def. 15 Desiree Sukhov/Sarah Garrow (CSUB) 21-17, 21-12
7. Laurel Weaver/Carly Kan (UH) def. 10. Hailey Harward/Claire Newlander (LBS) 21-13, 21-15
3. Morgan Martin/Hannah Zalopany (UH) def. 14 Kristy Markle/Nickeisha Williams (CSUN) 20-22, 21-14, 15-6
6. Emma Kirst/Rachel Nieto (LBS) def. 11. Sydney Haynes/Emily Hansen (CSUB) 21-12, 21-14 16
4. Nele Barber/Sasha Karelov (LBS) def. 13. Mikaela Nocetti/Lana Brown (SacSt) 21-12, 21-6
5. Emily Sonny/Jessica Manley (CP) def. 12. Amy Ozee/Ari Homayun (UH) 17-21, 21-11, 15-11
Quarterfinals
9. Adlee Van Winden/Taylor Nelson (CP) def. 1. Emily Maglio/Ka’iwi Schucht (UH), 23-21, 22-20
2. Torrey Van Winden/Tiadora Miric (CP) def. 7. Carly Kan/Laurel Weaver (UH) 14-21, 21-14, 15-11
4. Nele Barber/Sasha Karelov (LBS) def. 5. Emily Sonny/Jessica Manley (CP 21-13, 21-13
3. Morgan Martin/Hannah Zalopany (UH) def. 6. Emma Kirst/Rachel Nieto (LBS) 21-23, 21-15, 15-12
Semifinals
4. Nele Barber/Sasha Karelov (LBS) def. 9. Adlee Van Winden/Taylor Nelson (CP) 21-13, 21-9
2. Torrey Van Winden/Tiadora Miric (CP ) def. 3 Hannah Zalopany/Morgan Martin (UH) 21-16, 22-20
Final
Torrey Van Winden-Tiadora Miric (CP) def. 4. Nele Barber/Sasha Karelov (LBS) 17-21, 21-18, 15-9
