By: Tiff Wells
1 – Bonjour Louis! If you had heard Coach Wade during our Call the Coach this past Tuesday (next one is Jan. 30, 6:30 p.m. at Ruby Tuesday Moanalua), he had mentioned of a few players he wanted to give some court time to. One of them was freshman Louis Sakanoko. A late addition to the roster (would have been part of the 2025 incoming freshman class but a roster spot opened for 2024), Sakanoko didn’t get to Honolulu until December 26th and had practiced with the team maybe ten times. Inserted as an Outside Hitter into the lineup on Wednesday in Set 2 for his UH debut, the Frenchman ended the night with two kills and three aces. Night two against Emmanuel was the Louis match. Making his first career start at Opposite, Louis began the match on a 3-0 run. After an emphatic backrow swing that went off the face of the Lions’ libero, more strong hitting led to an eight kill output. But it was the serving that continued to open the eyes of the Rainbow Warrior faithful. Nine service aces on the night (on 23 total serves), Sakanoko now leads the team with 12…in just five sets played. Maybe the radar gun will be working when the Bows return for their next home match on February 2nd. He might be a freshman, but Sakanoko’s performance does give Coach Wade another hitting option…from either pin.
2 – Nearly 1:1 service game. In the men’s game, it’s about service pressure and with aces comes errors. Coaches would like a service ratio of one ace to two errors, one to one would be amazing. Take away the serving night on night two against Loyola (11 aces, 27 errors), UH has had more aces than errors in each match. No disrespect here to Emmanuel, but they aren’t Loyola. However, you still need to put the ball in play, regardless of the opponent. Over six sets played in this Emmanuel series, UH recorded 26 aces and had just 21 errors. With 37 service aces over its last three matches (11 sets played), the Rainbow Warriors are averaging 3.07 aces/set. Through two weeks played, the Bows have 43 aces and 53 errors, a little over a 1 to 1 ratio. Yes you’re more comfortable playing at home and knowing the surroundings. Can the UH service game travel to Indiana for its next three matches?
3 – Nearly a single match record. In just his second ever match as a Rainbow Warrior, Louis Sakanoko almost broke a 20+ year UH record. Through the first two sets on Friday, Sakanoko had eight service aces and helped UH start off with leads of 3-0 (Set 1) and 7-0 (Set 2). With an ace in the third frame, he tied the single-match UH record of nine, set by Costas Theocharidis who did it twice in 2002 (last coming in March at USC). Tying a program single-match record…as a freshman…in your first career start is very impressive. It’s something else to have your name next to one of the best to ever play for UH. Again, it was done against a Conference Carolina opponent but regardless of who you play, you still have to go back and keep your serve in.
4 – UH debuts for three. We’ve heard the phrase “it’s not depth unless you play it” repeated from Head Coach Charlie Wade over the years. Louis Sakanoko’s name has been mentioned a lot here and rightfully so. On Wednesday, UH fans saw their first look of Oguzhan Oguz, the 6’8” Sophomore Opposite from Turkey. With UH receiving just one kill and one block from the right side through sets, the former Jamestown Honorable Mention All-American was in on two blocks. It is going to be difficult for anyone to win a match when the Opposite position produces a single kill. Another local boy, redshirt freshman Alex Parks began Set 3 on night two at middle blocker for Guilherme Voss. UH fans also saw the season debut for redshirt sophomore Cole Ottmar who got both of his serves in. It’s a good thing to give the depth chances to play early on in the season because you never know when you might need them later on in the season.
5 – A walk to remember for Parks. Nearly every local boy (or girl) dreams of playing for the University of Hawai`i. It doesn’t matter the sport. Just another Hawai`i kid born and raised in the state added to that list is Alex Parks. The Maryknoll School alum redshirted in 2023 and has learned so much from Cole Hogland, Voss and Kurt Nusterer in practices and watching them during matches. Getting a shot to showcase what he can do in his UH debut, Parks recorded two blocks, one kill and an ace. And who says Middle Blockers can’t serve? Parks kept all seven of his jump serves in play. Truly, a night to remember for Parks.
6 – Energy, urgency needed all the time. It’s easy to get psyched up and energized when the opponent is a name team…when the opponent is a ranked team. Can that same level of energy and urgency be matched when the other team is outmatched? Yes UH got the win on night one but the Bows hit a season-low .178 and at times, the energy and enthusiasm was all on the side of the visitors. In Set 2 on Wednesday, UH was down 17-15 and needed an extended 10-2 close to take the set. Aided by the electrifying serve of Louis Sakanoko, UH’s talent and depth won the match 3-0. Many wanted to see a change in team performance in the run-it-back match and Sakanoko once again set the tone. A business-like 1-hour, 37-minute 3-0 win performance where UH didn’t commit a hitting error in the opening set and held the Lions to single digit points in both the first and second set. Happy with the difference in energy in night two from night one, the sense of urgency and how you play shouldn’t change based on the opponent.
