Hawai’i Falls In Four: Wāhine Volleyball Ends Season With Long Beach Loss

The University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wāhine Volleyball handled a tough loss in their senior night match against Long Beach State University the evening of Nov. 22 in Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Despite a steady battle, the ‘Bows were defeated in four sets to mark a premature end to the 2025 season.

Long Beach took early control of the match, opening the first set with a kill from Logan King, opposite hitter and Big West Freshman of the Week for the past seven weeks.

The ‘Bows responded with a strong defense and blocks from Senior Bri Gunderson and Sophomore Adrianna Arquette, but they were unable to take Long Beach’s lead and they fell in the first set 18-25.

To take advantage of a fresh start in the more competitive second set, Gunderson slammed a kill for the ‘Bows to bring the score to 2-1 and secured their first lead of the night. The Wāhine struggled to stay ahead and the lead was passed between teams until the set was locked up at 22-22. A weak defense from LBSU allowed an opening for Hawai’i Outside Hitter Cha’lei Reid to make a winning kill to end the set 25-23.

Hawai’i fans kept the energy high as the team came in with a stronger start in the third set, claiming the first two points with a pair of kills from Senior Tyla Reese Mane, but Long Beach quickly evened the score and the teams were back to battling for one-point leads.

Near the end of the set, the score was once again tied, but LBSU took advantage of the tension in the arena and secured the next two points, finishing the third set 23-25.

Despite a high-spirited crowd, Hawai’i struggled to keep a strong defense and Long Beach racked up a 7-point lead in the fourth set. They continued to widen the gap as the match progressed and a kill from Senior Middle Blocker Nieko Thomas sparked final momentum.

Fans rallied and player energy increased for the Warriors in an attempted final-moment comeback, but LBSU overpowered the ‘Bows and they closed off the set in a 25-16 win.

Emotions reached new heights on the court as the night concluded with families, coaches, and players honoring the three Hawai’i seniors: Bri Gunderson, Morghn Monahan, and Tyla Reese Mane.

The crushing loss makes the Warriors ineligible to play in the Big West Championships and they end the season with an overall record of 12-17 and a conference record of 8-10. Despite the early end, the Rainbow Wāhine displayed resilience and dedication as they played through injuries and scored comebacks in a memorable season.