HONOLULU, Hawai'i – Rosie Cline and Jordan Vander Veen delivered in the clutch, winning a decisive third set 15-12 to secure Concordia University Irvine's 3-2 victory over UNC Wilmington on day two of the Heineken Queen's Cup Friday at Queen's Beach.

The Golden Eagles split a pair of matches, falling to Pepperdine earlier in the day before rallying for the dramatic win.

CUI 1, Pepperdine 4

The Golden Eagles opened the day against Pepperdine in a competitive matchup but came up short in the 4-1 final. Kelia Giusta and Ashley Rossi brought home CUI's lone point at the No. 3 Pair, cruising to a 21-10, 21-14 victory over Alice Jagielska and Sonia Mancuso.

At Pair No. 4, Cline and Vander Veen battled hard but fell 21-19, 21-12 to Ginevra Merlini and Emi Erickson. Top-flight duos Olivia Medina and Aliyah Moore and Gabrielle Reinking and Lexi Godbey pushed their matches to three sets but ultimately were unable to finish, while Emma Bubelis and Deanie Woodruff secured Pepperdine's fourth point with a 21-8, 21-16 win at Pair No. 5.

CUI 3, UNC Wilmington 2

The Green and Gold bounced back in the second matchup of the day against UNC Wilmington, with the final point courtesy of an incredible performance from Cline and Vander Veen at Pair No. 4. The duo split the first two sets 21-19, 21-23 and then edged UNC Wilmington 15-12 in the deciding third set to clinch the dual.

Earlier in the dual, Kelia Giusta and Ashley Rossi won Pair No. 3 21-19, 21-11, and Olivia Medina and Lexi Godbey captured Pair No. 2 21-16, 21-16. UNC Wilmington earned victories at Pair No. 5 and Pair No. 1, with Gabrielle Reinking and Aliyah Moore falling 21-14, 19-21, 17-15 in a hard-fought top-flight battle.

UP NEXT

The Golden Eagles return to action Saturday for final day of the Heineken Queen's Cup, closing out the weekend with a pair of matchups against San Jose State and Saint Mary's. 

CLICK HERE for the full CUI beach volleyball schedule