Championship Central 


SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The 2026 Big West Beach Volleyball Championship opened Thursday at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex, as all seven programs hit the sand for a full day of pool play action. Hosted by Cal Poly, the two-day event began with dominant performances from the top seeds and tightly contested duals across both pools, setting the stage for Friday’s six-team single-elimination bracket to determine the conference champion.

Top-seeded Cal Poly made an emphatic statement to open Pool A, sweeping No. 5 seed CSUN, 5-0. The Mustangs controlled the dual from start to finish, led by the No. 1 pair of Ella Connor and Erin Inskeep, who earned a 21-14, 21-7 victory. On Court 2, Izzy Martinez and Logan Walter followed with a 21-9, 21-13 win, while Quinn Perry and Ashleigh Adams battled through a tighter opening set before pulling away, 21-19, 21-8. Cal Poly’s depth showed on the back courts as Julia Westby and Elise Lenahan posted a 21-9, 21-10 result, and Peyton Dueck and Katie Clevenger secured the sweep with a 21-11, 21-15 victory.

In Pool B, No. 3 seed Hawai‘i responded with a sweep of its own, defeating No. 6 seed Sacramento State, 5-0. The top pair of Julia Lawrenz and Izadora Stedile led with a 21-14, 21-12 decision, while Emily Heintzelman and Kiera Cornman added a 21-15, 23-21 win on Court 2. Julia Thelle and Sydney Miller delivered the only three-set match of the dual, rallying for a 21-14, 19-21, 15-11 victory. Hawai‘i continued to roll behind Kristen Serrano and Caprice Lorenzo, who won 21-13, 21-12, and Sarah Burton and Sophie Buschmann, who closed out the sweep with a 21-6, 26-24 result.

Second-seeded Long Beach State matched that effort with a 5-0 win over No. 7 seed Cal State Bakersfield. Malia Gementera and Taylor Hagenah paced the Beach with a 21-10, 21-13 victory on Court 1, while Tineke Hinton and Demi Wagdy edged a close 21-19, 21-18 contest on Court 2. Kiara Edwards and Mahala Esser dominated Court 3, 21-10, 21-8, and Victoria Henkel and Savannah Standage added a 21-19, 21-13 win. On Court 5, Kealoha Phillips and Brooke Birch battled through a three-set thriller, 21-14, 24-26, 17-15, to complete the sweep.

The most tightly contested matchup of the day came in Pool A, where No. 4 seed UC Davis edged No. 5 seed CSUN, 3-2. After splitting the first four courts, the dual came down to Court 5, where Ava Berard and Kirra Martin clinched the victory with a straight-set 21-18, 21-10 win. UC Davis also saw Emma Johnson and Alexandra Leal earn a 21-18, 21-17 decision, and Skye Smolinski and Kate O’Steen post a 21-10, 21-13 victory. CSUN picked up points on Courts 1 and 3 with 21-10, 21-17 and 21-13, 21-15 wins, respectively, but fell just short.

Later in Pool B play, Long Beach State and Hawai‘i squared off in a battle of unbeaten teams, with the Beach earning a 4-1 victory. Gementera and Hagenah led the way with a 21-13, 21-19 win, while Hinton and Wagdy added a 21-17, 21-16 result. Edwards and Esser secured another tight 21-19, 21-19 victory, and Phillips and Birch closed out their match, 21-17, 21-13. Hawai‘i avoided the sweep as Serrano and Lorenzo claimed Court 4, 21-17, 21-18.

No. 7 seed Cal State Bakersfield outlasted No. 6 seed Sacramento State, 3-2. After dropping Court 1, the Roadrunners responded behind Vivi Kaelin and Kendall Kaelin, who won 21-15, 21-9, before Ella Ensign and Vianna Garcia added a 21-17, 21-12 victory. The clinching point came from Havi Montano and Katey Milne, who secured a 21-15, 21-14 win on Court 5. Sacramento State earned its points with a 21-18, 21-12 win on Court 1 and a 11-21, 21-12, 15-7 comeback on Court 3.

The final dual of the day featured another dominant showing from Cal Poly, as the Mustangs swept No. 4 seed UC Davis, 5-0, to finish pool play unbeaten. Connor and Inskeep set the tone with a 21-19, 21-11 win on Court 1, while Martinez and Walter followed with a 21-14, 21-11 victory. Perry and Adams continued the momentum with a 21-13, 21-10 decision, and Westby and Lenahan added a 21-12, 21-13 result on Court 4. Dueck and Clevenger sealed the sweep with a 21-15, 21-11 win on Court 5, completing a perfect day for the hosts.

With the first day of competition complete, Cal Poly leads Pool A with a perfect record, while Long Beach State sits atop Pool B after an unbeaten start. UC Davis, Hawai‘i, Cal State Bakersfield, CSUN, and Sacramento State remain in contention as the championship shifts to bracket play on Friday. Action resumes with elimination play as teams battle for positioning and a chance to claim The Big West title.