Hawaii's beach volleyball team ended its season Friday with a 3-1 loss to Loyola Marymount in the first round of the NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. No. 9 seed Hawaii (24-12) won eight straight but lost to the Lions (28-13) in the NCAA for the third straight year.
Kaylee Gragau and Pani Napoleon won in straight sets, 21-17, 21-13, giving Hawaii second place and the first points of the dual.
However, UH dropped the first set on the other four courts, with LMU's Wilhelmina Pulichti and Michelle Schaefer defeating UH's Jamie Santer and Alana Embry 21-18, 21-11, ending the match. They scored the final point in 1st place.
The game was the final game for seniors Gragau, Napoleon, Santer, Anna Meidement and Riley Wagoner. These players helped UH win its first Big West title since 2018. All five rank in the top 15 in school history in career wins.