The fourth-ranked Hawaii men’s volleyball team used its final bye week of the regular season to refuel and recharge.
With almost two weeks between the last match, a four-set loss to Southern California in the Outrigger Invitational final, and tonight’s Big West match with No. 11 UC San Diego, the Rainbow Warriors (19-2, 2-0) held a clinic and scrimmaged in front of fans on the North Shore, took some time off for spring break, and mentally and physically locked in for a furious finish to the season.
UH’s final eight matches before the Big West tournament are all against ranked teams. Six of the eight will feature teams currently ranked in the Top 11 in the country on the opposite side of the net.
“Look, (the Big West) has been good every year. All six teams have been Top 20 worthy and Top 15,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said this week. “Northridge is the other one, our next opponent, is having an amazing year. They have done really, really good, so you’re looking at two of those teams that historically have been middle to bottom in the standings, literally are legitimate Top 10 teams. To have five Top 10 teams in a six-team league is pretty gnarly.”
UH started league play with two victories over No. 5 UC Irvine a month ago. The Tritons (16-4, 2-0) started conference play with two four-set victories over UC Santa Barbara.
All four losses suffered by UCSD this season are against teams ranked in the Top 13 in the country.
The Tritons have run off seven consecutive victories, including a five-set win over Stanford, one of two teams to beat UH this season, since dropping two matches at No. 13 Grand Canyon.
“They are really good. Their ranking doesn’t show it, but I think they are one of the best teams in the nation,” sophomore setter Tread Rosenthal said. “They are tough. They swept us last year. They’ve got a funky offense that works really well, so it’s going to be a hard game. We’ve just got to stay focused in and stay focused on our side of the net.”
It was at this point of the season a year ago when UH lost its best player, Spyros Chakas, to a devastating knee injury in the last match of the Outrigger Invitational.
UH went 5-5 in Big West play and lost in straight sets to UC Irvine in the semifinals of the Big West tournament.
The five losses were the most UH has suffered in conference play since leaving the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation for the Big West in 2018.
“I think last year’s Big West play didn’t really show how good we are and how talented we were at the time,” Rosenthal said. “We’re really focused. We’re really ready to get started with a good game against UCSD and get a little revenge from last year hopefully.”
Hawaii owns the all-time series against UCSD with a 64-7 record, which is the most wins UH has against any school in program history.
The Tritons hold a win over UH in three of the past four seasons, however, including in the 2021 Big West Tournament semifinals that marked the Rainbow Warriors’ last loss of the season before winning the first of back-to-back national championships.
“Certainly this is the most exciting time of the year coming up in front of us,” Wade said. “I think we have shown at times we can be really, really good. (UCSD) is sitting here with four losses, all to really good teams. They’ve got some impressive wins and a roster full of good players.”
UCSD’s seven-match winning streak is its longest since moving to Division I status in 2021. The Tritons haven’t played since March 14 due to spring break and final exams.
Bryce Dvorak, a transfer senior setter, joined a team in the offseason that returned five starers, including senior opposite Anthony Cherfan, a first-team, All-Big West Conference selection a season ago.
UCSD’s No. 11 national ranking is its highest of the season.
Hawaii needs one victory to notch its fourth consecutive 20-win season.
