GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Big West champion Cal Poly and runners-up Hawai’i both took to the sand in the opening rounds of the 2022 National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship and came up short of advancing to weekend play, capping the season for both squads.
Hawai’i’s season came to a close after the early contest against No. 4 seed Loyola Marymount. The 13th-seeded Rainbow Wahine had split a pair of 3-2 matches in Honolulu less than a month ago, but today the Lions handily prevailed. After taking all five opening sets, Loyola Marymount quickly finished off the match with wins on Courts 1, 4 and 5 to close the contest with the 3-0 win. Only the No. 3 pairing made it to a third set, but the match was unfinished three points into the action.
No. 12 Cal Poly took to the sand against No. 5 Florida State and nearly pulled off the upset in comeback fashion. The Seminoles took a 2-0 lead with wins on Courts 4 and 2, but the Mustangs’ All-American pair of Tia Miric and Ella Connor recorded the 21-19, 21-16 win to give Cal Poly the point. At No. 5, Vanessa Rosco and Josie Ulrich fought their way back after dropping the first set to even the team score at two apiece.
The deciding dual point came in the No. 3 position in the lineup, a battle to the finish. Stretching to extra points, the first set went to Florida State’s pairing of Anna Long and Kate Privett, 25-23. Cal Poly’s Peyton Dueck and Addison Hermstad battled back with a 21-16 victory in the must-win second to force the deciding game three.
In the final frame, Cal Poly led 9-6 before Florida State came back to knot the score at 11-all. Again tied at 13, the Seminoles’ tandem scored the final two points to seal the match and give Florida State the 3-2 win.
New to the expanded 2022 Championship bracket, the first day’s duals were all elimination matches with the eight winners advancing to a weekend of double-elimination play.
No. 4 Loyola Marymount 3, No. 13 Hawai'i 0
1. Orsi Toth/Rice (LMU) def. Kaylee Glagau/Brooke Van Sickle (UH) 21-12, 21-13
2. Marine Kinna/Avery Poppinga (LMU) vs. Loker/Santer (UH) 21-14, 17-16, unfinished
3. Macy Gordon/Valma Prihti (LMU) vs. Penner/Widener (UH) 21-16, 11-21, 1-2, unfinished
4. Marolf/Thorup (LMU) def. Maidment/Russo (UH) 21-15, 21-12
5. Reffel/Ramirez (LMU) def. Huddleston/Wagoner (UH) 21-13, 22-20
Order of finish: 1, 4, 5
No. 5 Florida State 3, No. 12 Cal Poly 2
1. Tia Miric/Ella Connor (CP) def. Maddie Anderson/Brook Bauer (FS) 21-19, 21-16
2. Alaina Chacon/Madison Fitzpatrick (FS) def. Piper Ferch/Jayelin Lombard (CP) 21-17, 21-15
3. Anna Long/Kate Privett (FS) def. Addison Hermstad/Peyton Dueck (CP) 25-23, 21-16, 15-13
4. Morgan Chacon/Jordan Polo (FS) def. Mariah Whalen/Piper Naess (CP) 21-14, 21-12
5. Josie Ulrich/Vanessa Roscoe (CP) def. Caitlin Moon/Raelyn White (FS) 13-21, 21-15, 15-11
Order of Finish: 4, 2, 1, 5, 3