HONOLULU – The Chaminade University beach volleyball team on Thursday split their two matches in their final playing date of the O'ahu Beach Blast at Hunakai Park.
The Silverswords held off Hawai'i Pacific University by a 4-1 count to open the day then fell to the University of Nebraska, 5-0. However, all five matches against the Cornhuskers were competitive with three being decided in the third set including a pair of first-set wins by the 'Swords.
Chaminade, which concluded its matches in the O'ahu Beach Blast, is 4-7. HPU and Nebraska will conclude the tournament on Friday morning.
Match 1: CUH 4, HPU 1
The Flight 5 duo of sisters
Brooklyn Poling (Gilbert, Ariz./Western Carolina Univ./Perry HS) and
DeLaney Poling (Gilbert, Ariz./Park Univ./Perry HS) won the 'Swords' opening match in three sets while the Sharks tied the contest with a three-set win of their own.
CUH took a two-sets-to-one lead thanks to a 21-16, 25-19 win in Flight 3 by
Nanna Inoue (Kula, Maui, Hawai'i/Tyler JC/King Kekaulike HS) and
Mahala Ka'apuni (Hilo, Hawai'i/Alaska Anchorage/Hilo HS), then clinched the match as
Leilani Ama (Spokane, Wash./Mt. Spokane) and
Grace Talpash (Temecula, Calif./University of Oklahoma/Great Oak HS) defeated Ella Schoene and Lauren Harris in three sets, 21-12, 18-21, 15-10.
Letizia Cammillucci (Padova, Italy/San Jose State/Liceo Amedeo di Savoia Duca D'asosta HS) and
Anna Stucchi (Roncello, Italy/Santa Clara University/I.I.S. Ezio Vanoni HS) got the Silverswords' fourth win in the top duo pairing.
Match 2: Neb. 5, CUH 0
The Flight 5 duo of
Kanoelehua Misipeka (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Liberty North, Mo.) and
Kendall Rios (Tustin, Calif./Foothill) rallied after dropping their first set to Keri Leimbach and Campbell Flynn with a 21-19 second set win to force a third before falling 15-9 in the first match between the 'Swords and Huskers.
Chaminade's No. 4 duo of
Brooklyn Poling and
Sina Bauer (Bamberg, Bavaria, Germany/Maximillian-von-Montgelas Gymnasium Vilsbiburg) won their first set with a 21-19 win over Laney Choboy and Skyler Pierce but the Nebraska team rallied to win the next two including a 15-11 third set decision.
Nebraska (11-3) clinched the match with a win in Flight 2. Although the 'Swords' No. 3 team of Inoue and Ka'apuni fell in straight sets, they pushed Harper Murray and Andi Jackson in the middle of both sets before late runs secured the win for the visitors.
In the top flight, Ama and Talpash took the first set over Bergen Reilly and Teraya Sigler, 21-19, but couldn't sustain their momentum as the Cornhuskers rallied to win the next two sets.
The Silverswords will wrap up their second year of beach competition on Thursday, April 17 with their fifth meeting this season against HPU.
