Jakob Thelle had two occasions to celebrate on Tuesday.
Had he been back home, Thelle would likely have been taking part in the annual May 17 festivities accompanying Norwegian Constitution Day.
So the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team’s victory tour through downtown Honolulu in celebration of a second straight national title had a familiar feel — on multiple levels — for the Rainbow Warriors’ All-America setter.
“Usually we have people walking the streets in the cities and waving flags,” Thelle said of Norway’s national holiday. “So this was almost the same.”
A year after being honored with a day of plaques and proclamations from state and city dignitaries and a lunch-hour meet-and-greet with fans, the Warriors followed much the same script on Tuesday, 10 days after a commanding sweep of Long Beach State in the final of the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship in Los Angeles.
Thelle said he wasn’t thinking about a repeat during last year’s trolley ride through town, and yet …
“It’s a whole deja vu,” Thelle said Tuesday. “A year later and here we are.”
The Warriors and the UH band boarded their trolleys in the Stan Sheriff Center parking lot and made their way to Washington Place for a ceremony hosted by Gov. David Ige. They continued down Punchbowl Street to Honolulu Hale, where Mayor Rick Blangiardi presented UH coach Charlie Wade with a Key to the City among the honors conferred upon the team.
“The joy and the pride (the championship) brings to our community, especially during these two years in which we’ve battled COVID, has been an invaluable contribution to our community,” Blangiardi told the team in the ceremony on the steps of Honolulu Hale.
“This was not an easy victory. You guys fought for it — we all felt that. We can’t thank you enough.”
UH middle blocker Cole Hogland, an ‘Iolani graduate who emerged from the “B side” at the start of the season to play a pivotal role in the title run, said he “never really expected to be congratulated by the mayor or the governor, so it’s pretty unreal.”
It was at their next stop, at the corner of King and Bishop streets, where the Warriors could get a direct sense of their impact within the community. There they obliged nearly nonstop requests for autographs and selfies from fans crowding around the team throughout the hour-long downtown rally.
“This is pretty on brand for Hawaii fans right here, in the best way,” UH middle blocker Max Rosenfeld said as he signed a mini volleyball.
“When we were at Gov. Ige’s he said this is ‘Rainbow Warrior Volleyball Day.’ But they really make it feel like that every day over here.”
Wade also marveled at the turnout while taking a brief respite from the noon sun under a tent.
“It’s been great just to have the fans out here, and it’s hot and they’re still coming out and standing in line,” said Wade, who has led UH to three straight NCAA finals. “It’s nice to have the interaction with the fans and appreciate everybody coming out.
“Volleyball’s a big deal here and we’re appreciative of that fact, that so many people just enjoy watching our team compete. Fortunately we’ve been been able to have some success to have more people come out and support us.”
There would be more fans to greet, this time from the trolley, as the parade picked up again and took the team down through Waikiki and up Kapahulu Avenue on its way back to the Manoa campus.
“It means everything because our fans are family to us,” Thelle said. “They’re such an important part of our program and our success, so celebrating with them was just special.”
Of course, championship celebrations never get old, and as he wrapped up his remarks at Honolulu Hale, Wade voiced the mission for next season as the Warriors aim for another parade a year from now.
“Why not us for three in a row?”
