BeachBows Head To California For East Meets West Invitational

Rainbow Wahine Beach Volleyball Faces Tough Test in California

Mar. 11, 2026 at 12:03am

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The University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball team (6-5) heads to Manhattan Beach, California, for the East Meets West Invitational, a challenging tournament featuring three nationally ranked opponents: No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Arizona State, and No. 12 LSU, as well as Florida International.

Why it matters

The Rainbow Wahine are coming off a successful Heineken Queen's Cup tournament where they upset preseason top-ranked UCLA. This road trip marks their first away games of the season and will provide a tough test against several highly ranked opponents.

The details

UH comes into the tournament riding high after capturing the Heineken Queen's Cup last weekend. The team started the season with losses to four top-10 teams but rebounded with a 5-1 record at the Queen's Cup. The BeachBows will face a busy schedule, taking on No. 5 Texas and Florida International on Friday, and No. 12 LSU and No. 8 Arizona State on Saturday.

  • The East Meets West Invitational is taking place on March 13-14, 2026.
  • The Rainbow Wahine will face No. 5 Texas and Florida International on Friday, March 13 at 8:30 a.m. HT and 12:30 p.m. HT respectively.
  • On Saturday, March 14, the team will take on No. 12 LSU at 7:30 a.m. HT and No. 8 Arizona State at 11:30 a.m. HT.

The players

Julia Lawrenz

A consistent performer for the Rainbow Wahine, appearing in all 11 matches this season.

Izadora Stedile

Paired with Julia Lawrenz, the duo was undefeated (6-0) at the Heineken Queen's Cup and has been a mainstay at the top of the order in recent matches.

Sophie Buschmann

One half of another consistent pairing for the Rainbow Wahine, appearing in all 11 matches this season alongside Julia Thelle.

Julia Thelle

Paired with Sophie Buschmann, the duo has been a consistent performer for UH, appearing in all 11 matches this season.

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What’s next

The Rainbow Wahine will look to continue their strong play from the Heineken Queen's Cup as they face their toughest competition of the season at the East Meets West Invitational.

The takeaway

The Rainbow Wahine beach volleyball team is facing a challenging road trip to California, but their recent success and resilience in close matches suggests they are prepared to compete against several highly ranked opponents at the East Meets West Invitational.