After wiping out a Top 5 team in front of nearly 9,000 fans, it would make sense for the Hawaii men’s volleyball team to want to quickly get back on the court.
The third-ranked Rainbow Warriors instead had to wait 13 days before tonight’s return to SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center for the first of back-to-back matches against Missouri S&T.
All but two of Hawaii’s seven regular starters have been on the last four teams to reach the national final in consecutive years.
They understand the importance of taking the time off when it comes and using it to get better.
“Practices, we’re still going at it,” junior libero ‘Eleu Choy said on Tuesday. “Trying to (refine) some stuff especially for our offense and serve receive.”
The extended time off won’t happen again as UH begins a stretch of at least nine straight weeks of matches ending with the Big West Conference Tournament here in April.
The Rainbow Warriors (10-1) welcome the Miners (8-6) for the first matches ever played between the two schools.
Missouri S&T, a Division II school located in Rolla, Mo., is in its second year of men’s volleyball.
The Miners are one of three first-time opponents for UH this season.
Hawaii beat Tusculum University twice to start the month of February and host Sacred Heart for two matches for the first time next week.
UH used the two Tusculum matches to rest starting outside hitters Chaz Galloway and Spyros Chakas.
That may not be the case against Missouri S&T.
“I think we’re pretty healthy for this time of year,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said before practice Tuesday. “Obviously once March hits, it’s going to be pretty serious every week so I think we’re in a pretty good place. For us, it’s still get the first unit out there and see how efficient and productive they could be and still looking at trying to integrate some guys in the lineup moving forward.”
UH is on a nine-match winning streak and currently leads the nation in hitting percentage (.409) and service aces (2.61 per set).
Chakas, who earned Big West and AVCA national player of the week honors last week after the two matches at Stanford, is second in the country in hitting percentage (.426) and third in kills per set (4.29).
Hawaii remained No. 3 in the ACVA top 20 rankings for the fourth straight week but picked up a first-place vote.
“The offense has been really good and we’ll see as we keep adding stuff to the playbook, can we still be the most efficient team and be productive doing it?,” Wade said. “And like always, it’s how good we can be from the service line.”
Hawaii has ranked in the top 10 nationally in aces in each of the last six seasons but has never finished at the top.
It was second in 2022 with 1.96 aces per set when it set the program’s single-season, rally-scoring record with 224 total aces.
Hawaii has been so good behind the service line this season that it has five players already with double figures in aces.
Not among those five is Chakas, who needs one more aces to become the ninth player in school history with 100 for his career.
Senior Keoni Thiim, who leads Hawaii with 20 aces, is 10th in the country averaging .556 per set.
Missouri S&T enters the week second in the country with 36 solo blocks. Sophomore Caleb Rohlwing, who leads the nation with 12 solo blocks, ranks 10th overall averaging 1.11 blocks per set.
Rainbow Warriors Volleyball
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
No. 3 Hawaii (10-1) vs. Missouri S&T (8-6)
>> When: Today and tomorrow, 7 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports (Tonight only)
>> Radio: KKEA 1420-AM / 97.5 FM
