HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Sacramento State was swept by a pair of nationally ranked opponents in the final day of the Big West Beach Volleyball Challenge. The Hornets began the day by falling at 5th-ranked Hawai'i by a 5-0 score, followed by a 5-0 loss to 20th-ranked Cal Poly.
The two-day event, which featured five of the Big West's six teams playing each another in a round robin format, saw Sacramento State play a pair of matches yesterday and today. Of the Hornets' four opponents at the event, three were nationally ranked. The Hornets lost both matches yesterday to CSUN, 4-1, and sixth-ranked Long Beach State, 5-0.
After beginning the season with a 3-0 record, Sacramento State (3-6) has lost six straight. However, during that six-match losing streak, four of those defeats came against nationally ranked opposition.
In today's matches, Sacramento State did not win a set as both Cal Poly and Hawai'i were victorious in straight sets in each of the five doubles matches. Against fifth-ranked Hawai'i, the Hornets' No. 1 duo of Morgan Stanley and Madeline Cannon kept things close before eventually falling to Morgan Martin and Mikayla Tucker, 21-14, 21-16.
For the fifth straight match, the Hornets were playing without the services of Shannon Boyle who is out with an injury. Boyle and partner Lexie Skalbeck had been 3-1 at the No. 2 spot in the Hornets' lineup before the injury sidelined Boyle.
Complete results from today's matches can be found below.
Sacramento State returns to action this Friday for a pair of matches in Boise, Idaho. The Hornets will face both Oregon at 11 a.m. and Boise State at 1 p.m. Sacramento State lost at home to Boise State earlier this season.
#5 Hawai'i 5, Sacramento State 0
1. Morgan Martin/Mikayla Tucker (HAW) def. Morgan Stanley/Madeline Cannon (SAC) 21-14, 21-16
2. Ka'iwi Schucht/Nikki Taylor (HAW) def. Lexie Skalbeck/Brie Gathright (SAC) 21-7, 21-9
3. Emily Maglio/Laurel Weaver (HAW) def. Kennedy Kurtz/Sarah Davis (SAC) 21-14, 21-8
4. Hannah Zalopany/Norene Iosia (HAW) def. Skyler Takeda/Lana Brown (SAC) 21-14, 21-10
5. Carly Kan/Ari Homayun (HAW) def. Courtney Dietrich/Brigitte Murdock (SAC) 21-8, 21-10
#20 Cal Poly 5, Sacramento State 0
1. Emily Sonny/Hannah Hubbard (CP) def. Morgan Stanley/Madeline Cannon (SAC) 21-18, 21-12
2. Taylor Nelson/Adlee Van Winden (CP) def. Lexie Skalbeck/Brie Gathright (SAC) 21-14, 21-13
3. Raeann Greisen/Heather Pembroke (CP) def. Sarah Davis/Kennedy Kurtz (SAC) 21-10, 21-9
4. Savannah Niemen/Anna Gorman (CP) def. Hannah Meadows/Lana Brown (SAC) 21-7, 21-8
5. Brayden Gruenewald/Taylor Gruenewald (CP) def. Brigitte Murdock/Courtney Dietrich (SAC) 21-16, 21-11
