GULF SHORES, Ala. — A day ahead of the NCAA tournament, the Hawaii beach volleyball team piled up the Big West Conference honors.

UH interim coach Evan Silberstein was tabbed the BWC Co-Coach of the Year for UH (24-16), which finished runner-up in the conference to Cal Poly. The Mustangs’ Todd Rogers also received co-coach honors.

Silberstein, a former UH assistant, took over in the offseason when Angelica Ljungqvist stepped away from the program. Under his watch – and with the benefit of an expanded field – UH returned to the NCAAs after an absence in 2021.

Brooke Van Sickle and Kaylee Glagau were named the BWC Pair of the Year, the first for UH since 2018, to go with their All-America honors announced last week. According to the Big West, the super senior Van Sickle is the first person to earn Big West indoor volleyball player of the year and be part of a beach pair of the year.

Van Sickle/Glagau, who led the team with a 30-9 record at the No. 1 flight, were joined on the all-conference first team by Sofia Russo and Anna Maidment, the program’s all-time winningest duo at 39 victories over two seasons.

The pairs of Kylin Loker/Jaime Santer and Ilihia Huddleston/Riley Wagoner were named honorable mentions.

UH, the No. 13 seed, takes on No. 4 Loyola Marymount at 6 a.m. Hawaii time on Wednesday, broadcast on ESPNU. The winner of that dual match advances to the double-elimination phase of the tournament while the loser goes home.

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.