Hawaii articles (Sand Team 2014)

[geddyleeridesagain]

"Potentially at stake Friday is the West's at-large spot."

Big, big match. Hawai'i beats LBSU, and Hawai'i is a lock for an at large spot. Lose to The Beach, and Hawai'i still has a good argument to be selected...but they will have opened the door for LBSU to make a counter-argument, so to speak.

[WahineFan44]

Apr 17, 2014 18:17:08 GMT -5 geddyleeridesagain said:

"Potentially at stake Friday is the West's at-large spot."

Big, big match. Hawai'i beats LBSU, and Hawai'i is a lock for an at large spot. Lose to The Beach, and Hawai'i still has a good argument to be selected...but they will have opened the door for LBSU to make a counter-argument, so to speak.

If the match goes 3-2 lbsu, hawaii will still make it IMO but but if the match goes 4-1 or 5-0 lbsu, then the beach will make it. Hopefully hawaii can pull out a win

[Cubicle No More ...]

i think hawaii needs to win to get the at-large.

if the beach wins, then they'll be 1-1 against hawaii for the season, but will have the benefit of their win coming later in the season. the other factor that favors the beach is that, altho they lost to pepperdine, the beach managed to lose in a split 3-2 decision. hawaii lost 5-0 both times against pepperdine this season.

[geddyleeridesagain]

Apr 17, 2014 22:15:09 GMT -5 Cubicle No More ... said:

i think hawaii needs to win to get the at-large.

if the beach wins, then they'll be 1-1 against hawaii for the season, but will have the benefit of their win coming later in the season. the other factor that favors the beach is that, altho they lost to pepperdine, the beach managed to lose in a split 3-2 decision. hawaii lost 5-0 both times against pepperdine this season.

Something else to factor in: Hawai'i went toe-to-toe with the #1 team, losing 3-2 to USC. LBSU doesn't have SC on their schedule.

[lkapulani]

jus one question.........who has da tougher schedule?

[Cubicle No More ...]

Apr 17, 2014 22:38:11 GMT -5 geddyleeridesagain said:

Apr 17, 2014 22:15:09 GMT -5 Cubicle No More ... said:

i think hawaii needs to win to get the at-large.

if the beach wins, then they'll be 1-1 against hawaii for the season, but will have the benefit of their win coming later in the season. the other factor that favors the beach is that, altho they lost to pepperdine, the beach managed to lose in a split 3-2 decision. hawaii lost 5-0 both times against pepperdine this season.

Something else to factor in: Hawai'i went toe-to-toe with the #1 team, losing 3-2 to USC. LBSU doesn't have SC on their schedule.

true.

here's hoping hawaii wins and puts to rest any doubt in the selection process.

[lkapulani]

so far so good

[geddyleeridesagain]

That seals it for Hawaii - they can book their tickets for that long trip to Gulf Shores, AL.

[WahineFan44]

Apr 18, 2014 15:43:23 GMT -5 geddyleeridesagain said:

That seals it for Hawaii - they can book their tickets for that long trip to Gulf Shores, AL.

Do you happen to know the scores?

[WahineFan44]

No. 3 Hawai’i 4, No. 5 Long Beach State 1
1) Karissa Cook/Britany Tiegs, UH def. Tyler Jackson/Janisa Johnson, LBSU 22-20, 21-11
2) Delainey Aigner-Swesey/Bojana Todorovic, LBSU def. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor, UH 21-18, 18-21, 15-11
3) Alyssa Longo/Ginger Long, UH def. Chelsea Cabrajac/Bre Mackie, LBSU 21-16, 21-16
4) London Chow/Olivia Urban, UH def. Jenelle Hudson/Alex Reid, LBSU 21-17, 21-16
5) Mikayla Tucker/Karlee Riggs, UH def. Ciana Wagner/Morea Wagner, LBSU 21-17, 21-17

[Cubicle No More ...]

SandBows win 3 at Big West Challenge

By Star-Advertiser staff

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 19, 2014
LAST UPDATED: 02:12 a.m. HST, Apr 19, 2014

The No. 3-ranked University of Hawaii sand volleyball team put itself in position for its first team appearance in the national championship by sweeping three dual matches at the Big West Challenge in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Friday.

The wins gave UH an 18-3 record, with its only losses coming to the top two teams in the nation, USC and Pepperdine.

The official announcement for the six-team field in the AVCA National Championship will be made on Monday. The event will be held May 2-4 in Gulf Shores, Ala. The field will be made up of the top two teams from the West and Southeast regions, a team from the Atlantic Sun and an at-large selection, which UH would likely receive.

On Friday, the Rainbow Wahine beat Cal Poly and Irvine Valley College by 5-0 scores and defending national champion and No. 5 Long Beach State 4-1.

UH's No. 1 team of Brittany Tiegs and Karissa Cook won all three of their matches in straight sets, outlasting Long Beach's No. 1 of Tyler Jackson and Janisa Johnson 22-20, 21-11.

Katie Spieler and Nikki Taylor, UH's No. 2 team, swept Irvine and Poly but lost to Long Beach State's No. 2 of Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Bojana Todorovic 21-18, 18-21, 15-11.

The Big West Challenge will continue Saturday with pairs competition.

UH 5, Irvine Valley College 0

1. Brittany Tiegs/Karissa Cook (UH) def. Marisa Doran/Kobi Pekich (IVC) 21-12, 21-11

2. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Becky Moody/Annie Mitchem (IVC) 21-9, 21-10

3. Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Katherine Kolodziej/Alexis Radecki (IVC) 21-12, 21-13

4. Karlee Riggs/Mikayla Tucker def. Hailey Jones/Shaelyn Perez (IVC) 21-5, 21-10

5. London Chow/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Emily Daily/Erica Tsujimoto (IVC) 21-5, 21-7

UH 4, Long Beach State 1

1. Brittany Tiegs/Karissa Cook (UH) def. Tyler Jackson/Janisa Johnson (LBSU) 22-20, 21-11

2. D. Aigner-Swesey/ Bojana Todorovic (LBSU) def. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) 21-18, 18-21, 15-11

3. Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Chelsea Cabrajack/Bre Mackie (LBSU) 21-16, 21-16

4. London Chow/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Alex Reid/Jenelle Hudson (LBSU), 21-17, 21-16

5. Karlee Riggs/Mikayla Tucker def. Ciana Wagner/Morea Wagner (LBSU) 21-17, 21-17

UH 5, Cal Poly 0

1. Brittany Tiegs/Karissa Cook (UH) def. Jennifer Keddy/Katie Conroy (CP) 21-13, 21-4

2. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Megan Groess/Nicole Kessler (CP) 21-13, 21-11

3. Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Hannah Schleis/Kate Walters (CP) 21-15, 21-10

4. London Chow/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Taylor Gruenewald/Shannon Fouts (CP) 21-10, 21-9

5. Hannah Rooks/Tayler Higgins (UH) def. Anna Gorman/Lexi Reddick (CP) 21-13, 21-16

[Cubicle No More ...]

UH earns berth in sand nationals

By Brian McInnis, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 22, 2014


GEORGE F. LEE / [e-mail]
The University of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine sand volleyball team will play in the six-team championship in Alabama in May. Brittany Tiegs, right, along with partner Karissa Cook, will play for the team as well as in the 16-team pairs competition.


Hawaii's aggressive schedule and stellar results made the Rainbow Wahine the only at-large team invited to the 2014 Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships.

UH is seeded fourth in the six-team field that begins play May 2 in Gulf Shores, Ala. The Wahine open against fifth-seeded Florida International in double-elimination play.

Top-seeded USC and No. 2 Pepperdine were the West region's automatic qualifiers. The AVCA National Championship Selection Committee decided Scott Wong's team warranted its first invitation; UH (18-3) lost only to the Trojans and Waves during the regular season.

"(Being in this position) is a significant thing, 'cause we've had a bunch of (the) community that's got behind us and said, ‘Hey, we want to support you guys. We want to see you do well, we want to win a championship.' " Wong said. "And that's been our goal from Day 1. So it's been a vision of mine that we want to compete, we want to be the best for Hawaii. And you've got to beat the best to be amongst the best."

On the at-large berth specifically, Wong added, "I think it's a lot of respect for us, what we've done, the schedule we've put together. We've played 21 matches because we want to show we want to play against the best (in) a bunch of matches. It's an honor. Because I think everybody knows the West is a strong region."

If UH can survive the first day of double elimination, it will grab one of four semifinal berths — at which point the tournament becomes single elimination. Should it get by FIU in the first matchup, UH will earn a rematch with the Trojans, who have a bye.

There is a pairs championship separate from the national team title. UH's top duo of Karissa Cook and Brittany Tiegs will compete for the team, but also as a separate unit in the 16-team pairs competition. The Wahine's No. 2 squad of Katie Spieler and Nikki Taylor also might participate.

It is UH's first team appearance in the AVCA nationals. The Wahine had two pairs compete in the pairs championship in the sport's inaugural collegiate season of 2012.

[Cubicle No More ...]

SandBows a bright spot for struggling UH athletics

By Dave Reardon, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 28, 2014


BRUCE ASATO / [e-mail]
Brittany Tiegs and the Hawaii sand volleyball team are set for the AVCA nationals in Alabama.


There's a University of Hawaii athletic team with an 18-3 record that is unbeaten as the visiting team and is one of six schools remaining to compete for a Division I national championship.

Coach Scott Wong's sand volleyball team joins USC, Pepperdine, Florida State, Florida International and Stetson at the AVCA Nationals in Gulf Shores, Ala., with its first match Friday against FIU.

This is some much-needed good news for UH sports, considering the hard times many of Manoa's teams in various sports have suffered recently.

Wong isn't letting it bother him or the team that the Golden Panthers could take a bus from their school to the tournament.

"Everyone's on the road," Wong said. "We're just a couple thousand more miles away from home."

Brittany Tiegs, who is paired at No. 1 with Karissa Cook, has some familiarity with the Gulf Shores sand, since she helped Florida State to the finals there in 2012 as the Seminoles went 15-0 in the first regular season of the sport, before she transferred to UH.

The SandBows have improved dramatically from 2012, when they went 4-6, and last year's 6-7 mark.

Wong said corporate sponsorship has helped UH host tournaments at Queen's Beach and fill out the schedule, as did a Portuguese Horseshoes fundraising event that brought in $70,000.

But having a 13-day break now before the national championships is "perfect."

"A longer season would be better, let the fans get to know us. With a nine-week season it's a small window and it's a grind," said Wong, noting that the season could expand as sand volleyball gains full NCAA status. "But we needed a break and it came at the right time. We're able to rest up, take care of school and gear up for this road test."

Recuperation is especially important for those players doubling up on indoor volleyball.

"It's a tough time for these kids," said Wong, who is also an assistant for Dave Shoji's indoor team. "Spring practice for indoor is important, but they can't do both, we have to limit their hours. We have to keep them fresh, don't get them injured and make sure they have time for their schoolwork."

Nikki Taylor and Ginger Long have performed well on the sand and managed their time well. Wong said the demanding schedule could pay benefits, not only on the sand in the nationals this week, but also in the fall on the hard courts.

"The continuity is nice, and it helps the overall development of the players," he said. "Emily Hartong is a good example. That first year of sand helped her become a better all-around player and, combined with her work ethic and talent, eased her transition from middle (to outside hitter) in indoor, and she became an All-American."

There's nowhere to hide on the sand with just two players compared to six.

"It's definitely a lot tougher because they've got to be able to do every skill. It tests your limits, physical and mental," he said. "You're on an island with your partner. If you have any weaknesses your opponent will exploit it."

So far this spring, the SandBows have most often been the ones doing the exploiting.

Reach Dave Reardon at [e-mail] or 529-4783. Read his blog at staradvertiser.com/quickreads.

[Cubicle No More ...]

Wahine have a dream: Bring home a national title

By Cindy Luis, The Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 30, 2014


JAMM AQUINO / [e-mail]
Hawaii sand volleyball player Karissa Cook bumped the ball during practice on Monday.


Big swings, bigger dreams.

No. 3 Hawaii headed out Tuesday night for Gulf Shores, Ala., with one goal in mind: Bring home its first team championship in sand volleyball.

The SandBows (18-3) are seeded fourth in the six-team tournament that begins Friday. First up (3 a.m. Hawaii time) is No. 6 Florida International 14-2); the Golden Panthers are seeded fifth in the double-elimination event that includes top-ranked USC, No. 2 Pepperdine, No. 4 Florida State and unranked Stetson.

Junior Brittany Tiegs, paired with senior Karissa Cook at No. 1, is the only Rainbow Wahine who is familiar with the venue. Two seasons ago, she was an All-American for the Florida State team that finished third in the inaugural tournament.

"From what I remember, nice beach with winds, good sand, almost like what they're putting in here (at the new UH campus courts)," said Tiegs, who has gone 28-4 with Cook. "The sand is not super hard, kind of jumpy, which is good for shorter players.

"It is a little different, going back playing for another school, but it's very exciting that we are going."

And that she will be, relatively, close to home. Tiegs is from Stuart, Fla., on the Atlantic side of the state, and about a nine-hour drive from Gulf Shores.

The six-hour time difference is somewhat of a concern to Hawaii, which didn't travel beyond California during four mainland trips this season. But head coach Scott Wong, who traveled extensively as an AVP player, feels the team will adjust.

"That will be the battle, the biggest challenge for us to go through six time zones," he said. "I've done it and it does take a little while to get used to.

"And we're playing a tough team right out of the gate. So do we get a little fatigued from that or do we get into a little rhythm from that. We've traveled well this season. All we have to do is be good for two days right now. Friday and Saturday is the season and our focus."

Getting to Alabama was the focus from Day 1 for Hawaii, the at-large team from the West region. The SandBows' only losses were to USC (3-2) and to Pepperdine (5-0 twice); the Women of Troy and the Waves split their two matches this season.

At some point this week, Hawaii likely will face Pepperdine, which won the inaugural championship in 2012 and lost to Long Beach State in last year's final when it forfeited a match due to injury. Waves coach Nina Matthies said she saw tremendous growth from the first time her team played Hawaii (March 15) and the second (April 12).

"Hawaii has improved in leaps and bounds, their entire team is playing well," said Matthies, a former Pepperdine indoor coach and longtime pro beach standout. "It's been so nice to see everyone improve in that it's only making our sport of sand volleyball better and promoting the growth around the country."

Matthies said she likes the venue, but is hoping for better weather conditions than last May, when it was cold, windy and rainy.

"It's in a beautiful area, a different feel than Hawaii or California," she said. "I love the venue, the city and fans have really embraced and supported our sport. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate."

Wong remembers perfect conditions when he was there in 2012 with two at-large pairs, Elizabeth Kaaihue Stolzman-Emily Hartong and Jane Croson-Ashley Lee. Having the entire team not just two pairs compete was the realistic goal, said Cook.

"It wasn't a dream that was outlandish," said Cook, who transferred after four indoor seasons at Stanford. "I think we knew all along we could do it. And we worked hard to make it happen.

"I'm sure FIU will be great, but (to get to the title match) we'll have to go through SC. We were so close the last time against them. It's a matter of who is on that day."

The 3-2 loss to the Women of Troy at Queen's Beach on March 19 came down to the final match. USC's Kirby Burnham-Sara Hughes outlasted Tiegs-Cook 21-18, 22-24, 15-12.

"We know what to expect from them and we'll have to play our hearts out," said Tiegs, who redshirted last season after her FSU transfer. "We've improved since (March 19) and it's ridiculous how much our team has grown in the two years I've been here. It's everything, the coaching, the recruiting and all the girls stepping up their play."

Hawaii is traveling 14. While the top three pairs are set in Tiegs-Cook (28-4), Katie Spieler-Nikki Taylor (30-8) and Ali Longo-Ginger Long (26-9), Wong said there is some wiggle room in the Nos. 4 and 5 spots and isn't sure who he will play during the team portion.

The team final is Saturday afternoon.

The pairs tournament also starts Friday with the 10 at-large "Best of the Rest" duos; the top two advance to Sunday's 16-team single-elimination bracket. The top six pairs from the team final and the top two duos from each of the losing semifinalists comprise the rest of the pairs field.


AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships
At Gulf Shores, Ala.

Friday through Saturday:
Team championship (Seeding and record in parentheses) With No. 1 USC (1, 22-1), No. 2 Pepperdine (2, 15-1), No. 3 Hawaii (4, 18-3), No. 4 Florida State (3, 16-1), No. 6 Florida International (5, 14-2), and Stetson (6, 18-4).

Sunday:
Pairs championship avca.org/sand/championships/

[Cubicle No More ...]

Hawaii upsets No. 1 USC in sand volleyball, advances to semifinal

The SandBows edge Women of Troy 3-2

By Star-Advertiser Staff

POSTED: 06:25 a.m. HST, May 02, 2014
LAST UPDATED: 03:25 p.m. HST, May 02, 2014


STAR-ADVERTISER ARCHIVE
In this March 2014 photo, Hawaii's Karissa Cook hits a ball away from USC's Alexa Strange (24) and Kelly Claes (30) during the semifinal match of the Rainbow Wahine Spring Challenge with Brittany Tiegs and Karissa Cook of Hawaii vs Kelly Claes and Alexa Strange of USC.


Fourth-seeded Hawaii avenged its loss to top-ranked USC from earlier this season by defeating the Women of Troy 3-2 in Friday's second round of the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championships at Gulf Shores, Ala.

The Rainbow Wahine (20-3) advanced earlier Friday with a 4-1 win over No. 5 Florida International. USC (22-2), which edged Hawaii 3-2 in March at Queen's Beach, had an opening-round bye and was riding a 21-match winning streak.

The SandBows, making their first appearance in the team portion of this event, advance to Saturday's semifinal. Hawaii will meet No. 3 Florida State, which eliminated Florida International Friday. at 6 a.m. Hawaii time.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Pepperdine advanced to Saturday's semifinal and will face USC. The Women of Troy eliminated Stetson Friday.

Hawaii clinched the match against USC with a win at No. 3 with Ginger Long and Ali Long defeating Sam Hirschmann and Natasa Siljkovic, 21-19, 22-20. The final match was at No. 2 where Katie Spieler and Nikki Taylor fell to Kelly Claes and Alexa Strange, 15-21, 21-18, 15-12.

Hawaii's only loss in the opener against FIU came at No. 4 when Martyna Gluchowicz and Kristine Monforte of the Panthers (14-3) swept London Chow and Olivia Urban 21-10, 21-17.

The Rainbow Wahine have now won five straight matches and 16 of their last 17. UH's last loss was 5-0 to No. 2 Pepperdine on April 12.

In other matches vs. FIU:

1. Brittany Tiegs-Karissa Cook (UH) def. Jessica Gehrke/Marina Boulanger (FIU) 21-9, 21-16

2. Katie Spieler-Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Aren Cup/Tina Toghiyana (FIU) 21-18, 21-13

3. Ali Longo-Ginger Long (UH) def. Jessica Mendoza/ Ksenia Sukhareva (FIU) 21-19, 21-18

5. Karlee Riggs-Mikayla Tucker (UH) def. Camila Rosado/Maja Rosko (FIU) 21-18, 21-17

In other matches vs. USC

1. Tiegs-Cook def. Burnham-Hughes 2-0 (23-21, 22-20)

4: Chow-Urban def. Ettinger-Russ 2-0 (21-19, 21-19)

5: Martin-Wheeler def. Riggs-Tucker 2-0 (21-9, 21-19)