The University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team has locked in the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship and will keep the party in Manoa, hosting a three-team regional at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on May 1 and 2. The Rainbow Warriors will sit out the opener and wait on the winner of a first-round clash between USC and Belmont Abbey, then hit the floor in the regional final at 4 p.m. HST on Saturday, May 2. The bracket gives the 'Bows a home path to the national semifinals in Los Angeles, even after a rough finish in the Big West title match.
Warriors stay home for the opening weekend
Even after falling to Long Beach State in the Big West final, Hawaii still walked away with a No. 2 seed and the right to host the opening rounds, setting up that island-time final on May 2 against the USC or Belmont Abbey survivor. Players and coaches were more than happy with the draw. Louis Sakanoko said, "playing in the Stan is always so cool and playing a quarterfinal of the natty is even better," while Tread Rosenthal added, "hopefully 10,000 strong and be really loud for us, so it’s going to be exciting." Head coach Charlie Wade liked how the bracket shook out, saying, "I think they did a nice job of kind of splitting it up," as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Bracket expansion gives more chances, new path to Pauley
This year’s championship field has grown to 12 teams, with four three-team regional sites and a setup that gives each host a first-round bye. Regional winners will punch their ticket to the semifinals at Pauley Pavilion from May 9 to 11. The NCAA said the revamped format is meant to open up postseason access while also spreading high-level matches across campus sites, according to NCAA.org.
Tickets and what fans should know
All-session ticket packages for the Stan regional go on sale Monday, with single-match tickets following on Wednesday, and the school has said it will post links and box-office hours for fans looking to buy in. Expect a charged atmosphere, since the Stan has been a tough place for visiting teams in recent seasons, and UH is openly hoping for a packed house for its home weekend. For the latest details on sales and seating, see local coverage, according to Hawaii News Now.
Local stakes and the road ahead
Hosting a regional is no small thing for this program. Hawaii captured back-to-back NCAA titles in 2021 and 2022 and has built a loud home-court reputation that can throw visiting teams off their game. The home draw also means Hawaii avoids an early cross-country slog for at least one weekend, which can be a real edge in a short postseason. For the official schedule and ticket links, check the University athletics site, according to Hawaii Athletics.
