Anna 
CSUN Beach Volleyball wrapped up the 2025 Big West Challenge on Sunday with two tough losses, falling 4-1 to both No. 17 Hawai’i and No. 8 Cal Poly at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. Despite the defeats, Dylan Hall and Hannah Heflin delivered standout performances, securing wins in both matches.
CSUN vs. No. 17 Hawai’i: 4-1 Loss
CSUN started the day against No. 17 Hawai’i, a team they have yet to defeat. The Matadors managed to even the score early when Hall and Heflin earned a 21-14, 21-16 victory over Sophie Buschmann and Kristen Serrano in the No. 4 pair. However, Hawai’i quickly regained control.
The Rainbow Wahine took the first point when Caprice Lorenzo and Sarah Burton swept Haley Coggins and Ainsley Patrick at No. 2 (21-10, 21-14). At No. 5, Sydney Miller and Sydney Amiatu defeated Maleya Miles and Layla Cederlind (21-13, 21-17), putting Hawai’i ahead 2-1.
The match was decided when Julia Lawrenz and Alana Embry edged out Tasha Mae and Kinley Lindhardt at No. 1 (22-20, 21-14). In the final contest, Jesse Mann and Jasmine Wandeler secured a three-set win over Tia Mendiola and Julia Bazylevych (17-21, 21-13, 15-12), sealing a 4-1 victory for Hawai’i.
CSUN vs. No. 8 Cal Poly: 4-1 Loss
CSUN faced another tough challenge against No. 8 Cal Poly in the final match of the tournament. The Mustangs clinched the victory early with straight-set wins at No. 5, No. 1, and No. 3 before Hall and Heflin once again provided a bright spot. The duo defeated Katie Clevenger and Julia Soeller in straight sets (21-11, 21-19) at No. 4.
The final match at No. 2 saw Mendiola and Bazylevych take the first set against Ella Connor and Madi Nichols before falling in a close battle (23-25, 21-14, 15-12), giving Cal Poly the 4-1 win.
Coach Ari Homayun’s Thoughts
“Not the way we wanted to finish the Big West Challenge, but overall, it was a decent showing for us,” said CSUN head coach Ari Homayun. “We got to experience high-level volleyball over the last three days, and I think it gave the girls confidence knowing they can compete with Hawai’i. It will take hard work and discipline to fully turn that corner, but that’s our focus for the next month. We want to play our best volleyball at the end of April.”
Up Next
CSUN continues its road schedule next week, traveling to Irvine to face Concordia on Friday before taking on Cal State Bakersfield for the third time this season on Saturday at the Swanson Beach Complex.
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