HONOLULU – The first-year Chaminade University beach volleyball team completed their first major tournament as a program Saturday against top Division I programs this past weekend at the Heineken Queens Cup at Waikiki Beach.
The Silverswords battled hard and gained a significant amount of experience on the sand. Although the 'Swords could not secure a win this past weekend, their efforts allowed to take a point against one of the top indoor programs in the country in the University of Nebraska. In Saturday's finale, Chaminade faced Boise State and Nebraska in rematches from Friday pool play action.
The 'Swords dropped their quarterfinal match to BSU, 5-0, then lost the fifth-place match to Nebraska by an identical 5-0 count.
Chaminade fell to 1-6 in its inaugural season.
Quarterfinal: Boise State 5, CUH 0
A close match-up took place between the No. 1 pairings of
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS) and
Malena Mihalik (Santa Fe, Argentina/San Eugenio) and Marlayna Bullington and Sierra Land. The Broncos took the match with the final scores coming out to 21-17 and 21-18. Although the Silverswords could not capture the win, their efforts on the sand created an exciting match.
The No. 5 squad for the Silverswords of
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) and
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS), who defeated Nebraska on Friday, took the loss to Elli Wolthuis and Sharli O'Neil. After a 21-11 defeat in set one, the 'Swords fought back, but eventually fell 21-18 in Set 2.
The other three pairs fell to BSU, putting the 'Swords in the fifth-place match.
Fifth Place: Nebraska 5, CUH 0
Another exciting match that included a three-set tiebreaker took place between the No. 4 pairings of
Sophie Schilling (Berlin, Germany/Alaska/Schul- and Leistungsportszentrum Berlin HS) and
Elli Tsukano (Austin, Texas/James Bowie) and the Huskers' tandem of Laney Choboy and Skyler Pierce. Chaminade captured the first set win, 15-21, but the Huskers fought back, winning the second, 21-14. The tiebreaking third set went into extra points with Nebraska ultimately getting the 19-17 win. Schilling and Tsukano were the only team to defeat the Huskers in Friday's meeting.
The No. 1 pair of
Greta Corti (Varese, Italy/Univ. of San Francisco/Alessandro Manzoni Liceo HS) and
Hula Crisostomo (Honolulu/Univ. of Texas El Paso/Moanalua HS) created another thrilling three-set tiebreaker match against Ally Batenhorst and Bergen Reilly. The 'Swords defeated the Huskers 15-21 in Set 1, but fell in the next two sets, 21-16 and 15-11.
The other three Chaminade pairs fell to Nebraska's tough squads in the Huskers' 5-0 victory.
The 'Swords are next in action on Tuesday, March 26 as they face Hawai'i Pacific for the second time this season at Queens Beach. Chaminade upended the Sharks, 4-1, in the first meeting on Feb. 10.
