ESPN Honolulu Rainbow Warrior play-by-play voice Tiff Wells with his six biggest takeaways from the previous week for the Bows
1 – Saw Red. Entering the opening match of the series, CSUN had lost three straight matches, four of their last five and five of their last seven. The Matadors were desperate for a win and in need to protect home court. Teams typically play better at home and despite UH having some recent success over the last few years in Northridge (UH had won the last 4), Premier America Credit Union Arena has been a facility where Hawai`i has typically struggled (see 2018). The Bows offensively were in a rut all match long (hit .219; came in hitting .359 on the year) and while yielding only three CSUN aces, the passing game just wasn’t quite there as UH was hitting out of system for a majority of the match. Unable to string together natural points and the inability for anyone to go on a long service run, the Rainbow Warriors were playing from behind for a majority of each set. Coupled with a defense that was unable to slow down the smaller CSUN hitters, that combination equaled a short match (81 minutes). In handing the Bows their first 3-0 loss of the season, the Matadors hit .507 (45-7-75), the highest percentage allowed by UH this season. CSUN’s left side hitters (6’4 Lorenzo Bertozzi and 6’1 Joao Avila) combined for 17 kills on 26 swings with just one hitting error while opposite and 2024 Big West Honorable Mention selection Jalen Phillips scored 16 kills on 29 swings. As Kristian Titriyski led UH with 14 kills, no one else had more than five in the 81-minute match as CSUN sided out at 80% off first-ball contact to pick up the win. UH’s left-side combo of Adrien Roure and Louis Sakanoko combined for nine kills on 25 swings with seven hitting errors. While its only one match, the loss did take UH out of sole possession of first place in conference. But the nice thing about a two-match series is if you happen to have a poor match on night one, you get the ability to come back on the second night and atone for that performance.
2 – Bounceback Bows…Again. The previous two times UH lost a match (Feb. 7th vs. Stanford and 3/15 vs USC), they came out and won the next match (Feb. 20th at Belmont Abbey and 3/28 vs UC San Diego). Hawai`i hasn’t lost two matches in a row since last March (at Long Beach State). As UH had to wait nearly two weeks to play a match following a loss, this time around the Bows had the chance to get on the floor less than 24 hours later. Teams that lose night one of a two-match series not only will typically make more adjustments but will also play with a lot more desperation as they want to get a split in the series and not be swept. While no lineup changes were made, UH came out with more energy and served five aces (season low one on Friday night) to win the opening set 25-18 and closed that set on an 11-3 extended run (were down 15-11). Leads of 7-1 and 15-8 were just enough for UH as the Bows won Set 2 25-21. Holding off three CSUN set points in Set 3, UH won the set (29-27) on their fourth set point chance on Kurt Nusterer’s walk off service ace. The Bows now are 3-0 following a loss and despite the high of picking up their 12th 3-0 win of the season, it did come at a price.
3 – Pray For 10. Hawai`i fans and fans of the sport held their breath in the middle of UH’s first match point opportunity on night two after Kristian Titriyski came down from a block attempt and his right foot landed on the foot of a CSUN hitter. The Bulgarian freshman first held onto the net and then hopped off the court before he later laid down on a massage table near the Hawai`i bench as the Bows would eventually close out the Matadors. After using both Kainoa Wade and Finn Kearney as serving substitutions earlier in the set, Head Coach Charlie Wade brought in Clay Wieter (who we had been told was unavailable all weekend due to back issues) to serve and play back row in place of Titriyski. The last image most fans in the arena had of Titriyski was him leaving on crutches with the ankle covered in ice bags. After earning the series split, UH flew home on Sunday as the status of their leading attacker and one of the most productive hitters in the country remains in doubt. It will be a long week of rest, treatment and rehab for Kristian Titriyski as he will try to do all he can to be on the floor this weekend. While his status is unknown at this time, the top options for Hawai`i to fill in are either Finn Kearney or Kainoa Wade. Stay tuned.
4 – Countrywide Chaos. There seems to be a night during the season where multiple upsets happen. That night took place on Friday, April 4th. Teams ranked two (UCLA), four (UC Irvine) and five (Hawai`i) all lost in the span of 90 minutes (all on the road) and in two of those three cases (UCLA and Hawai`i), they were swept. The Bruins lost at Grand Canyon, the Anteaters fell at UC San Diego and we know what happened with UH at CSUN. One day later, No.3 USC (without their top hitter Dillon Klein) lost their match at Pepperdine. The chaos slightly changed the polls as Hawai`i and UC Irvine flip flopped at 4 and 5 respectively earlier on Monday. Long Beach State remained at No.1 but picked up all 23 first-place votes. There’s a reason why no team since 1984 (UCLA, 38-0) has gone undefeated. It’s just hard to do now with talent spread across the country. Add in roster limits, there are a lot of good teams out there. Teams lose…it happens.
5 – #PackTheStan. Announced last Wednesday, the Saturday Senior Night match against Long Beach State is a sellout. If you’re planning to attend part two of Bows and Beach, get there early to ensure parking. Officially, it’s the: 14th sellout in program history, 6th since 2019 and fourth ever senior night sellout. Friday’s opening match isn’t that far behind as “not many left” is the designation when looking to buy tickets. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. (remains to be seen if that’s the case for Saturday, so stay tuned) and if you’re coming, #WearWhite as it’s a designated White-Out match. Remember it’s not the last time you’ll be able to see the team in person on the island as Hawai`i is hosting the Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship on April 24-26 and tickets are available. There are senior nights and then there are senior nights in Hawai`i and no one celebrates their seniors the way the state of Hawai`i does. Add in the unanimous, number one team in the country who just happens to be an arch rival and has one of the top players in the country, it has the makings of a special weekend in Manoa. The latest chapters of this Bows and Beach rivalry has a possibility of seeing close to 20,000 in house for the series.
6 – Velkommen, Magnus. As #WarriorBall25 prepared for its series with CSUN, the newest member for #WarriorBall26 was announced. Magnus Hettervik, a 6-foot-6 setter from Stavenger, Norway is the latest international to pledge his commitment to play for UH. He’s the second signee in the class as 7’0” Roman Payne (Middle Blocker from Carlsbad, Calif.) was announced earlier. From UH’s release on Hettervik, “Magnus is an impressive young man and polished player,” head coach Charlie Wade said. “He follows a great lineage of Norwegian players who have highly recommended their next countryman to join our program. He brings athleticism, good size, a professional mindset and competitive nation that will allow him to make our team better.” He competed with Norway’s U19 National Team that competed in the 2022 European Championship after placing third in the North European Volleyball Zonal Association Championship. Most recently the team qualified for the 2024 European Championship. He currently competes in club volleyball for ToppVolley, the same club that produced Jakob Thelle. The last time UH brought in a setter from Norway, it worked out quite nicely for the program.
