SANTA CRUZ, Calif.—CSU Bakersfield went 2-1 to place third on day one of the SCU/USF Collegiate Sand Volleyball Challenge Saturday.
Playing on the famed on the Main Beach Courts, the Roadrunners dropped a 5-0 decision to No. 2 Hawai'i in first dual of the day. The Rainbow Wahine swept the 'Runners at No. 2, No.3, and No. 5. Mariah Alvidrez (R-Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Liberty HS) and Molly O'Hagan (Sr., Tonganoxie, Kan., Tonganoxie HS) went to three sets at No. 1 with Nikki Taylor and Brittany Tiegs before the Hawai'i duo won 18-16 in the third set. Hazel Perrens (Jr., Stavanger, Norway, Louisiana-Monroe) and Kelsee Sawyer (Jr., Temecula, Calif., Great Oak HS) went to three sets at No. 4 against the Rainbow Wahine when Mikayla Tucker and Ka'iwi Schmidt defeated the 'Runner pair 15-9.
CSU Bakersfield defeated San Francisco 4-1 to complete pool play. Winning for CSUB were, Alvidrez and O'Hagan (No. 1), Danika Youngblood (Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Western Nebraska CC) and Sydney Haynes (So., Vancouver, Wash., Evergreen HS) at No. 2, Sophie Flemion (Jr., San Simeon, Calif., Coast Union HS) and Sara Little (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) at No. 3, and and Star Tucker-Campbell (Jr., Moorpark, Calif., Moorpark HS) and Luiza Martins (Jr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Western Nebraska CC) (No. 5)
As a result of going 1-1, CSUB earned a spot in the third place match against California. The Bears also went 1-1 during the preliminaries. The Roadrunners swept the Bears, winning 5-0 to take third. Alvidrez and O'Hagan (No. 1), Youngblood and Haynes (No. 2), Flemion and Little (No. 3), Perrens and Sawyer (No. 4), and Campbell and Martins (No. 5) were victorious for the 'Runners.
“Our team had never played up north before and there is some stiff competition here,” said CSUB head coach Olivia Simko. “It was a great experience to play Hawai'i, USF, and Cal."
The Roadrunners competed in the pairs tournament on Sunday. Tucker-Campbell and Martins turned in the best CSUB performance as the pair reached the finals of the bronze bracket. Tucker-Campbell and Martins won two matches before losing 21-17, 15-21, 15-9 to Hawai'i's London Chow and Hannah Zalopany in the finals.
Perrens and Sawyer reached the semifinals of the silver bracket, winning two matches before dropping a straight sets decision to Sammi Brown and Hannah Rooks of Hawai'i.
Alvidrez and O'Hagan were elminiated in the first round of the gold bracket while Youngblood and Haynes went 1-1 in gold bracket play. Flemion and Little were 0-1 in silver bracket play.
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