Wahine sand at Antelope Classic

he University of Hawai’i sand volleyball squad had two teams advance to the semifinals of the in the Antelope Desert Classic but were unable to capture the gold Sunday at Victory Lanes Sports Park on the campus of Grand Canyon.

The day started well with four of UH’s five team’s winning in the first-round of the 15-team championship bracket, which also included pairs from Loyola Marymount and host Grand Canyon.

The tandems of Katie Spieler–Ginger Long and Natasha Bell–Tai Manu-Olevao ultimately made their way to the semifinals where both tandems were defeated. Spieler and Long suffered a particularly tough loss, succumbing in three sets to Gand Canyon’s No. 1 squad of  Mackenzie Phelps and Shannon Dugan, 13-21, 21-17, 18-16.

LMU’s top pair of Felicia Arriola-Litara Keil captured the championship by taking down Phelps and Dugan, 23-21, 21-15, in the final.

After being bounced in the first-round, the UH pair of Ku`ulei Zalopany and Olivia Urban made a run to the consolation final, before falling to LMU’s Ashley Maxfeldt and Annie Marie Taylor

The Rainbow Wahine will now return to California for a dual match at Long Beach State on Tuesday, March 26 at 1:00 p.m. PT (10:00 a.m. HT).

Antelope Desert Classic Final Results
First Round
Hannah Tedrow-Amber Mirabello (LMU3) def. Caelen Hiller-Chloe Jenkins (GCU3) 21-18, 10-21, 15-12
Karlee Riggs–Ali Longo (UH2) def. Ashley Maxfeldt-Annie Marie Taylor (LMU5) 21-19, 22-20
Katie Spieler–Ginger Long (UH4) def. Kenna Crouse-Taylor Scioscia (LMU2) 21-16, 21-19
Jane Croson–Ashley Kastl (UH1) def. Brittney Spackman-Courtney Spackman (GCU5) 21-12, 21-7
Natasha Bell–Tai Manu-Olevao (UH3) def. Avery Bush-Rachelle Suaava (LMU4) 21-15, 25-23

Felicia Arriola-Litara Keil (LMU1) def. Jessica Posse-Megan Davis (GCU4) 21-4, 21-4
Sara Bowden-Kristen Johannsen (GCU2) def. Ku`ulei Zalopany–Olivia Urban (UH5) 21-19, 17-21, 15-11

Quarterfinals
Mackenzie Phelps-Shannon Dugan (GCU1) def. Tedrow-Mirabello (LMU3) 21-10, 21-11
Spieler-Long (UH4) def. Riggs-Longo (UH2) 21-13, 21-5
Bell-Manu-Olevao (UH3) def. Croson-Kastl (UH1) 10-21, 21-15, 21-19
Arriola-Keil (LMU1) def. Bowden-Johannsen (GCU2) 21-19, 21-17

Semifinals
Phelps-Dugan (GCU1) def. Spieler-Long (UH4) 13-21, 21-17, 18-16
Arriola-Keil (LMU1) def. Bell-Manu-Olevao (UH3) 21-17, 21-13

Final
Arriola-Keil (LMU1) def. Phelps-Dugan (GCU1) 23-21, 21-15

Consolation Round
Crouse-Scioscia (LMU2) def. Hiller-Jenkins (GCU3) 21-18, 21-17
Maxfeldt-Taylor (LMU5) def. Spackman-Spackman (GCU5) 21-18, 21-16
Zalopany-Urban (UH5) def. Bush-Suaava (LMU4) 24-22, 21-18
Tedrow-Mirabello (LMU3) def. Posse-Davis (GCU4) 21-11, 21-8

Consolation Semifinals
Maxfeldt-Taylor (LMU5) def. Crouse-Scioscia (LMU2) 14-21, 21-18, 15-8
Zalopany-Urban (UH5) def. Tedrow-Mirabello (LMU3) 21-17, 21-18

Consolation Final
Maxfeldt-Taylor (LMU5) def. Zalopany-Urban (UH5) 21-19, 11-21, 15-13