catching up on sand, Cook-Tiegs win pairs title
Someone asked if they show the nationals on TV
this is what they did last year:
CBS Sports Network will televise portions of the competition in three hour-long specials beginning on Tuesday, May 21 (7:00 PM, ET).
From Saturday
The University of Hawai`i women’s sand volleyball team concluded its regular season with pairs competition versus Long Beach State and Irvine Valley College in the Big West Challenge. UH competed in three separate brackets with the team of Karissa Cook and Brittany Tiegs capturing Bracket A which consisted of each school’s No. 1 and 2 tandems.
Cooks and Tiegs won the six-team bracket with straight sets win over LBSU’s Delainey Aigner-Swesey and Bojana Todorovic (21-13, 21-16) in the semifinals and Tyler Jackson and Janisa Johnson in the finals (21-12, 21-10). UH’s top pair finished the regular-season with a stellar 33-4 record.
Meanwhile, a combined three wins by the No. 3 and 4 pairs of Ali Longo–Ginger Long and London Chow–Olivia Urban, respectively, set up an all-UH final in Bracket B. The teams, however, did not play out the final match
In Bracket C, made up of the No. 5 and 6 tandems, the UH pair of Karlee Riggs and Mikayla Tucker advanced to the finals, before falling to LBSU’s Ciana and Morea Wagner 21-18, 18-21, 15-11.
UH next awaits official announcement on Monday of the field for the 2014 AVCA Sand Volleyball Championship, May 2-4, in Gulf Shores, Ala.
Saturday’s Results
Bracket A
Quarterfinals
Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Becky Moody/Annie Mitchem (IVC) 21-10, 21-9
Semifinals
Karissa Cook/Brittany Tiegs (UH) def. Delainey Aigner-Swesey/Bojana Todorovic (LBSU) 21-13, 21-16
Tyler Jackson/Janisa Johnson (LBSU) def. Spieler/Taylor, UH 21-15, 18-21, 25-23
Finals
Cook/Tiegs (UH) def. Jackson/Johnson (LBSU) 21-12, 21-10
Bracket B
Quarterfinals
London Chow/Olivia Urban def. Haley Whyte/Emily Dailey (IVC) 21-14, 21-8
Semifinals
Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Jenelle Hudson/Alex Reid (LBSU) 21-10, 19-21, 15-11
Chow/Urban (UH) def. Chelsea Cabrajac/Brie Mackie (LBSU) 24-22, 21-11, 15-10
Finals
DNP
Bracket C
Semifinals
Karlee Riggs/Mikayla Tucker (UH) def. Joy Miley/Makayla Taylor (LBSU) 23-21, 18-21, 15-9
Ciana Wagner/Morea Wagner (LBSU) def. Tayler Higgins/Hannah Rooks (UH) 21-14, 21-19
Finals
Wagner/Wagner (LBSU) def. Riggs/Tucker (UH) 21-18, 18-21, 15-11
From Friday
The No. 3 University of Hawaii sand volleyball team won its final three dual matches of the regular-season at the Big West Challenge in a performance that put UH in position for its first-ever team appearance into the AVCA National Championship. The Rainbow Wahine blanked Irvine Valley College and Cal Poly, while picking up a key win over No. 5 Long Beach State Friday in Huntington Beach.
With an 18-3 overall record—and its only losses to the top two teams in the nation in USC and Pepperdine—UH is poised to gain an invitation to the third annual AVCA Sand Volleyball National Championship to be held May 2-4 in Gulf Shores, Ala. The official announcement for the six- team field will be made on Monday. The field will be made up of the top two teams from each the West and Southeast regions, the Atlantic Sun champion and an at-large selection for which UH would likely qualify.
The Rainbow Wahine were its usual dominant self with a pair of 5-0 wins over Cal Poly and IVC and a 4-1 win over Long Beach State. UH won in straight sets in 14 of the 15 matchups during the day. In the most critical match of the day, UH rose to the challenge, taking down a 49er squad are also vying for a spot in the nationals as the defending champions. It marked UH’s second win over LBSU this year after also defeating the 49ers, 3-2, in Honolulu on March 7, the opening day of the season.
From Friday
#3 Hawai’i def. Irvine Valley College, 5-0
1. Brittany Tiegs/Karissa Cook (UH) def. Marisa Doran/Kobi Pekich (IVC) 21-12, 21-11
2. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Becky Moody/Annie Mitchem (IVC) 21-9, 21-10
3. Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Katherine Kolodziej/Alexis Radecki (IVC) 21-12, 21-13
4. Karlee Riggs/Mikayla Tucker def. Hailey Jones/Shaelyn Perez (IVC) 21-5, 21-10
5. London Chow/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Emily Daily/Erica Tsujimoto (IVC) 21-5, 21-7
#3 Hawai’i def. #5 Long Beach State, 4-1
1. Brittany Tiegs/Karissa Cook (UH) def. Tyler Jackson/Janisa Johnson (LBSU) 22-20, 21-11
2. D. Aigner-Swesey/ Bojana Todorovic (LBSU) def. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) 21-18, 18-21, 15-11
3. Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Chelsea Cabrajack/Bre Mackie (LBSU) 21-16, 21-16
4. London Chow/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Alex Reid/Jenelle Hudson (LBSU), 21-17, 21-16
5. Karlee Riggs/Mikayla Tucker def. Ciana Wagner/Morea Wagner (LBSU) 21-17, 21-17
#3 Hawai’i def. Cal Poly, 5-0
1. Brittany Tiegs/Karissa Cook (UH) def. Jennifer Keddy/Katie Conroy (CP) 21-13, 21-4
2. Katie Spieler/Nikki Taylor (UH) def. Megan Groess/Nicole Kessler (CP) 21-13, 21-11
3. Ali Longo/Ginger Long (UH) def. Hannah Schleis/Kate Walters (CP) 21-15, 21-10
4. London Chow/Olivia Urban (UH) def. Taylor Gruenewald/Shannon Fouts (CP) 21-10, 21-9
5. Hannah Rooks/Tayler Higgins (UH) def. Anna Gorman/Lexi Reddick (CP) 21-13, 21-16
Congratulations to the UH Sandbows!! Looking forward to the official announcement on Monday from the AVCA, but if all goes as expected, UH sand Volleyball team will go to the Sand Volleyball Nationals in May. First time in UH Sand Volleyball history for the team to qualify. (Two pairs qualified in 2012) Thanks for a GREAT Season Sandbows!!
wat an awesome and gr8 season sandbowz !!!!!!!!! way 2 go !!!!!!
It was a great season, made up for last season which wasn’t that great.
I am actually hoping UH will be the fourth seed and on USC’s side of the bracket since they match up better against them, that way they won’t face Pepperdine until the finals.
Congrats to the Sandbows!
It’s interesting that Ginger Long can play so well on the sand but not so much indoors. Is it that Longo, her partner, is the main asset here?
re: volleyball fan — it’s amazing the attempt at logic on this board sometimes … yikes!
Although indoor volleyball and beach volleyball have the same concepts, each requires different strategies. Indoor is a game of power where beach is more about finding the right place where your opponent is not. Not to elm versed in beach so I can’t really elaborate on the differences but that’s probably why some who find success in one might not do so well in the other. Look at all the Fab 50’s on Stanford’s team. They’re superior indoors but lack of experience in the sand reflects on their sand record.
5. too different sports, indoors and sand, different sets, as Ki mentions.
no, Longo isn’t the main asset in that pairing. Long has a solid sand game and it complements Longo’s. if you had watched them play you would know that.
6. Volleyball fan isn’t wrong when it comes to the difference in her game. Long is an amazing beach player. She has a career in it IMO. But indoors, while she’s good, she isn’t the greatest. This shows the differnece between sand and indoor. Stanford as AAs on their sand team, but they struggle on the sand. It’s a totally different game. Longo and long are both excellent beach players and complement each other very well.
9. no, he/she isn’t wrong to notice she has a better sand game. but also questioned if the success wasn’t due to Longo. IMHO, Long hasn’t had much of an opportunity indoors and we’ll see how much this sand season has helped her.
8. the difference between Stanford and Hawaii in sand is that Hawaii got in the first year, has continued to build towards sand-specific players, and offers scholarships. It is why Cook is here for her grad degree and not playing for the Cardinal. Stanford has no sand scholarships.
Long will most likely start at OH2 which doesn’t quite fit into certain someone(s) personal “tactical” preference..hence the arguments which will continue to go in circles ’til fall 2014.
Stanford doesn’t have a sand volleyball coach *A HUGE DIFFERENCE*; Dunning has never played VB–of any sort, moreover.
10. Oh of course. That’s why I said they weren’t wrong with the difference in her play. Long plays lights out on the beach. IMO, she seems a lot more comfortable on the beach than she does indoors.
That he hasn’t played volleyball hasn’t stopped him from winning indoor titles at UOP and Stanford, has it? Thought he played a little at San Diego State back in the 70s.
but anyway. sand is in its infancy at Stanford. I’m sure when they decide to put some money into it, they will be successful.
11. You’re joking right? Dunning is one
11. Dunning is one of the greatest coaches in the game and for you to claim that he isn’t, is ridiculous IMO.
anybody know when the AVCA announcement for wahine beach team come out?
16. Fsu is the 3rd seed and plays 6th seed stenson. So that most likely means the seeds are like this. (All estimates right here).
1. Usc
2 Pepperdine
3. Fsu
4. Hawaii
5. I’m thinking Georgia tech
6. Stenson
But so far fsu and stenson are the only confirmed seeds
4 hawaii plays 5 fiu
So the seeds are
1. Usc
2. Pepperdine
3. Fsu
4. Hawaii
5. Fiu
6. Stenson
I think the wahine got a good draw to get to the finals, obviously FIU will not be easy, but if they prevail then, USC is a much more favorable matchup then Pepperdine. the key to the wahine is the the play of flights 4/5.
19. Agreed. Those are the ones we need to win. Cooks and tiegs, Taylor and spieler and long and longo are excellent, but the number 1-3 from the other teams are good as well. If hawaii wins 4 and 5 we know that hawaii 1-3 teams all have chances to win.
#19 & 20: Agreed as well. The 4 & 5 spot seem to be overlooked at times but really do anchor the team. 1, 2 & 3 are usually pretty well matched up as far as competition level (from what I’ve seen in play), the 4 & 5 should be a win-win for Hawaii in most matches as long as they’re paired up correctly. However, USC’s 5 pair has had an impressive season and Anna boasts quite often on how pleased she is with the Freshman pair.
Go get ’em at Nationals Sandbows!! Congrats on your best season yet!! GO BOWS!!!
Good luck, Sand Bows !!
11. In your dreams. Long is great in the sand, but I doubt if she’s in the picture to start at any position indoors.