With a sold-out crowd as the electrifying backdrop, the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team faced a tough opponent in Long Beach State, the top-ranked team in the nation. Despite an energetic third-set win, the No. 4 Hawaii men's volleyball couldn't overcome the absence of their key player, Kristian Titriyski, and fell in four sets Friday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, Spectrum Local News reported.
Suffering from a lack of offensive firepower, the Rainbow Warriors staged a fight but ultimately lost with scores of 25-21, 25-18, 18-25, 25-21. Witnessed by a season-high crowd of 9,962, the team's performance slipped without their injured star opposite Titriyski. Notably, freshman Finn Kearney stepped up to the plate, filling the opposite hitter role and notching a season-high 17 kills, "Ice in his vans," as Tread Rosenthal, UH setter put it in comments to Hawaii Athletics.
The Rainbow Warriors are now trailing behind Long Beach, with a Big West record standing at 22-4, 5-2 in contrast to Long Beach's impressive 24-1, 6-1 tally. UH Coach Charlie Wade expressed disappointment in the outcome but held onto hope for the senior night rematch: "I'm disappointed that we couldn't get a win for them, but we gave them a little something, little excitement there in the third and fourth, and hopefully, we can get a win for them and for our seniors tomorrow night," Wade told Spectrum Local News. The rematch, and the senior night pandemic are remarkably both sold out, a first back-to-back occurrence for the program since 1996.
In the face of the high-pressure match, UH displayed bright spots with notable appearances by players like 'Eleu Choy, who admirably handled his opponent's serves. Yet, lapses against other Beach players let LBSU take the lead in aces, 6-3, and blocks, 10-5. While UH cruised through the third set, Long Beach regained composure and fought back to seal their victory. Praise was given by Beach coach Alan Knipe to both teams' efforts, appreciating the high-stakes environment. "This is why I coach volleyball, to be in situations like this," Knipe lauded the electrifying atmosphere, as per Spectrum Local News.
