Hawai’i Beach Volleyball Falls to Cal and Grand Canyon in Senior Night Matches
Honolulu – The University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball team concluded its home schedule with a challenging Sunday, dropping a 5-0 match to No. 10 Cal and a hard-fought 4-1 contest against Grand Canyon. The Clarence T.C. Ching Complex served as the backdrop for Senior Night celebrations honoring Amirah Ali, Alana Embry, Kendall Kaelin, and Cami Loker.
Sunday’s Losses: A Look at the Matches
Match 1: Hawai’i 0 – Cal 5
The Rainbow Wahine faced a formidable opponent in No. 10 Cal, and the Golden Bears demonstrated their dominance, securing a straight-set victory 5-0. UH (12-19) initially sought redemption at the No. 2 court, but Cal’s Mila Vugrincic and Maile Somera ultimately prevailed 21-19, 13-21, 15-9. This marks Cal’s first victory over Hawai’i in their 10-match all-time series.
Match 2: Hawai’i 1 – Grand Canyon 4
The evening matchup against Grand Canyon proved to be a dramatic, back-and-forth battle. Sydney Amiatu and Kristen Serrano started strong for UH, securing a 21-18, 21-19 win over Madi Bolge and Regan Holmer. However, the Antelopes rallied, claiming the next three courts in three-set victories—a significant comeback that ultimately resulted in a 4-1 defeat for the Wahine.
- Flight 2: Katie Keefe & Rhea Kohl def. Burton/Lorenzo 15-21, 23-21, 19-17
- Flight 3: Ines Piret & Adrianna Ferro def. Ali/Embry 21-17, 12-21, 15-11
- Flight 4: Karynn Garrow & Sophia Hladniuk def. Buschmann/Miller 16-21, 21-15, 15-11
Senior Night Recognition
“It’s truly special to honor these incredible athletes,” said a team spokesperson. “Amirah, Alana, Kendall, and Cami have dedicated years to the program, and their leadership and contributions will be deeply missed.”
With the weekend’s results, Hawai’i now looks ahead to a bye week before heading to Santa Monica for the 2025 Big West Championship, where a victory would secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship tournament in early May.