1 – A Set For The Ages. 36-34. The single largest set score in any match over the six-year history of the Hawaiian Islands presents the Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship. It will also be remembered as the one set that got away. Nine. As in nine set point chances for Hawai`i to cash in and close out the set. Each and every time the Bows got a set point opportunity, they just couldn’t convert to end the set. Whether it was a service or hitting error, or UC Irvine earning the point on their end, the UH fan base got its workout in of standing for set point only to sit back down as UCI tied the set. A Hilir Henno kill that gave UCI the 36-34 Set 2 victory and a commanding 2-0 match lead was just a little too much for Hawai`i to overcome, even at home. With the first two sets each going deuce and decided by a total of four points, it very well could have been a 2-0 match lead for UH or even a tied match at one set a piece going into the break. At 23-7, UH was the first team out of the eight-team field of the 2024 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship as both UCLA and UC Irvine received the two at-large bids.

2 – Kurtistown. Middle blocker Kurt Nusterer left his mark all over both matches for UH this past week. In the Thursday quarterfinal round against UC Santa Barbara, Nusterer notched seven kills on eight errorless swings had two aces and recorded four blocks against the second grouping of Gaucho middle blockers. And then in the Friday semifinal against UC Irvine, he went 8-1-11 offensively with two service aces, three digs and three blocks. Nusterer ended #WarriorBall24 as the top blocker with 108 total blocks. Earlier on Saturday, the third-year sophomore also took to social media to say he is taking the summer off in order to rest his body. He’ll also work at a local bank on island as he’s committed to returning for #WarriorBall25, which will be his fourth season with the Rainbow Warrior Volleyball program.

3 – Went 6-6 And #PlayedFor6 Without #6. At 17-1 and coming off the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational title, it was a somber mood heading into the Long Beach State series as Hawai`i learned it would be without Spyros Chakas for the rest of the season. Its floor captain and OH1, Chakas was that calming influencing on the floor and the “glue guy” that was on a very short list of both Big West Conference and National Player of the Year. Even with losing both matches at Long Beach State, it was in the way the team played (primarily the second night) that some felt there could be another run. As a young lineup tried to find itself and its way on the fly during the conference season, there were highs (winning on night two at UC Irvine) and lows (losing at home to CSUN on night one, being swept on night two at UC San Diego, serving errors and allowing lengthy point-scoring runs) on a roller coaster ride over its final 12 matches. After playing two tight sets in that semifinal match against UC Irvine only to see the final set be a 10-point set loss, it was almost a microcosm of how the final 12 matches of the season went. The pieces were there and at times it looked really good but there was also inconsistency in a lineup that featured many first-year starters.

4 – Two Final Flights For #AirGalloway. From a consistent starter to one battling through injuries and coming off the bench, Chaz Galloway exemplified the heart of a Warrior. In the Thursday quarterfinal match against UCSB, Galloway started the final two sets and had five kills, three blocks and an ace. But it was his serve receive that helped stabilize UH en route to the 3-1 match win as he went 14-of-14 on serve receive. With a lineup change in Set 2 against UC Irvine, Galloway slid into Louis Sakanoko’s OH spot (Sakanoko moved to the opposite position) and was efficient. Nine kills on 15 swings with just one error, he hit .533, added five digs and two blocks. Even with his injuries, there was one play where his efforts to play a ball led him to crashing into the courtside seats. Eventually he got up and played through it. His plan is to move on from volleyball and get both his real estate and pilot licenses, while being a property manager.

5 – Historic Run Comes To An End. For just the second time in six Hawaiian Islands presents the Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, Hawai`i was not in the championship match (first being in 2021). With California schools occupying the two slots in the final match, a good crowd of 2,334 showed up and saw Long Beach State defeat UC Irvine 3-1 for the automatic qualifier bid out of the Big West. Over the last four seasons, UH won two National Championships (2023 and 2022), appeared in four consecutive NCAA Championship match appearances (not done since UCLA did so six straight years from 1993 to 1998) earned two conference tournament titles (2022 and 2023) and took home a conference regular season title (2021). They are the winningest program since 2015 with 226 wins. Since the start of the 2017 season, they are 114-11 in home matches. For seniors Chaz Galloway, Alaka`i Todd and Guilherme Voss, they finish their UH careers with 112 wins. Being on the roster during the shortened 2020 season because of the pandemic and then the 2021 season with travel protocols for health and safety, they have seen it all in their careers that have also included NIL opportunities. For the first time since 2018, Hawai`i didn’t see their name on the bracket during Selection Show.

6 – What’s Next? At 23-7, UH earned its sixth 20-win season in the last 15 seasons, for its 13^th in program history. What started out as a very promising season at 17-1 became a 6-6 record after a season-ending injury to its best player and one who was being considered for both Conference and National Player of the year. It coupled with a third-place conference regular season finish and the season ending at home in the conference tournament semifinal. Two starters will need to be replaced, as well as two rotational pieces. A mainstay in the middle the last couple of years, Guilherme Voss will be playing pro next season. Sixth-year senior and first-year opposite hitter Alaka`i Todd will look to play professional as well. Graduate transfer setter Kevin Kauling is seeking to play pro ball as well. Chaz Galloway, a key rotation piece has said his volleyball career is over and looks to begin the next chapter of his life on the mainland. The captain and consummate professional, Spyros Chakas took the season-ending injury in stride and was as supportive of his teammates off the floor as he was on. All the best to him in his continued rehab process as any professional team would love to have him on their roster. Reserve setter Austin Buchanan has already said he’s in the transfer portal and with at least one year, maybe a second (he will petition the NCAA for a medical hardship from this 2024 season) of eligibility. A 2025 season that will have many new faces (five confirmed in the signing class: Ofeck Hazan, MB from Israel; Finn Kearney, Opp/OH from Phoenix, Ariz; Victor Lowe, S from Santa Monica, Calif; Adrien Roure, OH from France and Kristian Titriyski, Opp from Bulgaria. It should soon also include Matthew Wheels, L from Santa Ana, Calif. and what should also be Kainoa Wade reclassifying to join this group) and some familiar teams on the schedule. The Outrigger Volleyball Invitational field (Loyola, Penn State and USC) looks to be strong again, as well as hints that Stanford will be on the schedule again. Throw in the five Big West Conference teams and most of the schedule looks somewhat intact. The last couple of years have included a non-conference road trip (North Carolina for three matches in 2023 and to Indiana this past season for three matches). With Ohio State hosting the 2025 Men’s Collegiate National Championship, perhaps a trip to the Buckeye state is in the cards (either regular season or a berth into the NCAAs). Not only do you talk about those graduating, but the transfer portal is also in play for all teams as well. Hawai`i will also play host the Hawaiian Islands presented the 2025 Outrigger Big West Championship as well and who knows…we’ll know in the next few months the next four-year cycle of National Championship host sites and whether or not Hawai`i will be a host, as they’ve put in a very strong bid for 2027. We’ll pack it up and head on home to get ready for #WarriorBall25. See y’all in January for Year 47 of Hawai`i Men’s Volleyball.