A week after opening Big West play, Hawaii faces another Midwest volleyball power when No. 12 Lewis visits Manoa for a two-match series.
Coming off a split at UC San Diego last week, the fourth-ranked Rainbow Warriors (14-3) have a week off from conference play and face their third Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association opponent when they take on the Flyers (10-6) today and Saturday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
UH enters the week 2-2 against the MIVA’s three highest-ranked teams. The Warriors swept a series with No. 11 Loyola Chicago at home to open the season and dropped two matches at No. 8 Ball State.
This week’s series features half of last season’s final four in Columbus, Ohio. While the Warriors swept through a semifinal win over UC Santa Barbara on their way to the national championship, Lewis lost to Brigham Young in four sets on the other side of the bracket.
“They have a talented roster and an experienced coach and they’re always good,” UH coach Charlie Wade said of the Flyers. “This is a team that would be one of the better teams in the Big West, no doubt.”
The Warriors slipped to No. 4 in the NVA/AVA Coaches Poll and to No. 6 in the Off the Block media poll after dropping their Big West opener at UCSD in five sets and sweeping the Tritons in the rematch.
While UH’s work at the net — led by Guilherme Voss’ 1.37 blocks per set — has provided production throughout the season, Wade also noted improved floor defense after the sweep at UCSD.
“It’s really about effort and attitude,” Wade said. “Blocking might a bit little more technical, but I’ve always felt defense is more about attitude than anything.”
The Warriors continue to lead the nation in blocking with 2.99 per set with Lewis second at 2.66. UH played without middle blocker Cole Hogland in the UCSD series and Kyler Presho started both matches with Max Rosenfeld providing a spark off the bench.
Wade said Hogland might have limited activity in practice, but “he’s a ways away from being 100%.”
Outside hitter Chaz Galloway also continues to progress from an ankle injury that sidelined him for eight matches early in the season. He started both matches last week but was lifted in the first set.
“Every day he has a chance to get a little stronger, but he looked pretty good (Tuesday),” Wade said.
Junior Filip Humler stepped into the rotation and delivered 12 kills on .346 hitting and was in on four blocks in the series.
Humler started 13 matches in 2020 and helped the Warriors go 15-1 before the season was cut short by the pandemic. He was limited to three appearances last year as he recovered from an off-season injury. Back to full duty this season, he’s provided 1.77 kills per set on .340 hitting.
“He played all of 2020 and hit .370 on the left and he’s a really good player. Having him back playing at a high level definitely makes us a better team,” Wade said.
“He’s working hard, he’s had a long road back and it’s good to see him playing again at a high level.”
The four-team Outrigger Invitational was initially slated to return this week, but became a two-match series with Lewis when two teams pulled out of the tournament.
The Flyers’ trip to Hawaii comes in the midst of an undulating season to date. Lewis swept No. 1 UCLA on Jan. 29 in Los Angeles, but also dropped a five-set match at Lindenwood to start a 1-3 stretch.
Middle blocker Tyler Mitchem, a 6-foot-11 graduate student, was an NVA/AVCA first-team All-American last season and 6-8 setter Kevin Kauling made the second team. Wade called the duo, “legit (U.S.) senior national team players.”
Mitchem ranks fourth nationally with 1.32 blocks per set and is second in hitting percentage at .509 while averaging 3.52 kills per set.
Rainbow Warriors volleyball
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
No. 12 Lewis (10-6) vs. No. 4 Hawaii (14-3)
>> When: Today and Saturday, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: 1500-AM, today; 1420-AM / 92.7-FM Saturday
