Lindenwood challenges Hawai’i in final OUTRIGGER tune-up 

HONOLULU – Reset before the OUTRIGGER. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team took down Lindenwood University (4-11) in four competitive sets on Friday evening, (25-16, 23-25, 27-25, 25-23). Kristian Titriyski paced the Rainbow Warriors with 19 kills on 41 attempts, committing eight attacking errors as a fatigued UH squad powered on to win its eighth match in 16 days. 

“Glad to get the win,” Hawai’i head coach Charlie Wade said following the match. “[Lindenwood] was fearless, going after it from the service line … I give them a lot of credit. Frankly, they played harder than we did most of the match so we’re fortunate to get the win.” 

Adrien Roure tallied 11 kills on 19 swings, adding four assist, five digs and a trio of blocks to help Hawai’i hold off an inspired Lindenwood effort. After two emotionally draining and physically taxing matches against Big West rival and national powerhouse UC Irvine, the two matches against Lindenwood came as a quick turnaround for the Rainbow Warriors. 

“I think we have some fatigue, both the legs and even mentally,” said Roure of the turnaround after opening conference play. “I think [Lindenwood] played really well, we had some trouble stopping them, but I’m glad we found a solution for that game.” 

Hawai’i (17-1, 2-0 Big West) got out to a nice start behind Roure and Titriyski, snagging a 10-5 lead to force an early timeout from the Lions. The stoppage helped the visitors settle in slightly, seeing the UH lead drop to three by the first set’s media timeout, 15-12. 

The hosts returned fire when play resumed, shooting out of the stoppage with new energy to extend the lead to seven behind more high-flying fun from Titriyski and Roure. The Rainbow Warriors kept the foot on the gas to close the set, taking four of the final five rallies to secure an opening frame in which they hit .500 as a team, 25-16. 

Redshirt sophomore and Maryknoll School alum Alex Parks entered for his lone set of the night in the second frame, quickly making an impact with his first kill of the night to give the Rainbow Warriors an 8-4 advantage. The Lions fought back with four of the next five points, pulling within one after an ace by Carter Stenmark before tying the stanza at 10. 

An ace by Zach Solomon gave Lindenwood its first lead of the match, turning the tide towards the visitors out of the MIVA as they held a slim one-point advantage at the second frame’s media timeout. The sides sparred into the final points of the frame before the Lions capitalized on the UH miscues to take a set for the first time ever against the Rainbow Warriors, 25-23. 

“In that second set, we let like three balls drop,” Wade said. “[Those plays] are a six-point swing and it ends up being deuce, and now they think they’ve got some momentum and can play … the libero played really good.” 

After the sides traded points to begin the third frame, Tread Rosenthal helped Hawai’i jump ahead by a few points as he finally recorded the team’s first service ace of the night. Middle blocker Kurt Nusterer’s first kill of the match sent the Rainbow Warriors into the media timeout feeling good, leading the Lions by four, 15-11. 

Lindenwood forced a timeout by Hawai’i with three straight points, making it just an 18-17 advantage for the hosts in the swing set. The Lions continued to hold the momentum, denying Titriyski a few times before finding court to take the lead and force another timeout from the Rainbow Warriors as the hosts trailed 21-20. 

Roure and Nusterer combined to block Owen Walsh to restore the lead for UH, but Lindenwood would not relent. After four chances at set point, Hawai’i finally secured the third frame and a 2-1 lead with a 27-25 decision. 

The night looked like it might go the distance after Hawai’i fell down by five by the fourth set’s media timeout, but the Rainbow Warriors came out of the stoppage with a renewed fire as they scored 9 of the next 10 points to jump ahead, 19-16. With the Lions back on the defensive, Hawai’i was able to fight off the slight scare and take the final frame, 25-23. 

Carter Stenmark and Jacob Christopher each had 14 kills to lead Lindenwood, who committed more than 50 errors as a group but played with a gambling mindset throughout the evening that kept Hawai’i off balance. The Lions were able to secure the program’s first-ever set win against UH while spinning four service aces to the Rainbow Warriors’ two. 

Freshman Finn Kearney provided a big lift off the bench for Hawai’i, chipping in seven kills on 12 swings while sophomore Tread Rosenthal added five kills on 10 attempts and six digs while dishing out 37 assists over the four frames. The Rainbow Warriors, ranked as the third-best team in the country according to the latest AVCA Coaches’ Poll, will get a six-day reprieve before kicking off the 2025 OUTRIGGER Invitational next Thursday. 

“I’ve said – and I don’t think that it’s hyperbole – that it’s the premier event in men’s collegiate volleyball,” Wade said of the OUTRIGGER tournament that will feature four of the nations’ best teams next week. “It’ll be a battle every night. Three nights in a row, it’s going to be a challenge for sure. 

The third-ranked Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors will host No. 5 USC, No. 12 Ball State and No. 19 Penn State throughout the three-day event, looking for the program’s 12th title in the OUTRIGGER Invitational. With Friday’s victory, UH enters the event on an 8-game winning streak.