Hawaii men’s volleyball opens season with title aspirations, focus on consistency

Coming off a Big West championship and another deep NCAA Tournament run, the Hawai‘i men’s volleyball team enters the 2026 season with familiar expectations — and an added emphasis on consistency.

The Rainbow Warriors open their season Friday night at Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center against New Jersey Institute of Technology, marking the earliest season opener in program history.

Hawai‘i finished 27-6 a year ago, winning the Big West title before falling to UCLA in the NCAA men’s volleyball semifinals. While head coach Charlie Wade said the program’s sustained success has set a high standard, the goal remains to elevate from contender to perennial champion.

“It’s one thing to have a good year and be really good, and we’ve been really good for a long time,” Wade said. “But we’re really hungry to not only be good, but to be the best, and be the best every year. That is elusive and difficult to attain, and that’s the expectation.”

The Warriors begin the season ranked No. 2 in the AVCA Top 20 poll, their ninth consecutive year earning a top-five preseason ranking. They were also picked second in the Big West preseason coaches poll. Junior setter Tread Rosenthal, along with Adrien Roure and Kristian Titriyski, were named to the preseason all-conference team.

Hawai‘i returns five starters — Rosenthal, Roure, Titriyski, Justin Todd and Louis Sakanoko — among 12 returning lettermen, giving the Warriors an experienced core early in the season.

“I think it’s helped a lot at the start of the year,” Rosenthal said. “We know how to play together, so we can work on other things earlier instead of getting connections down. Having that baseline was really helpful.”

Wade said blending that experience with a new group of players will be a key part of the season. Transfers Trevell Jordan (Grand Canyon), Quintin Greenidge (University of Windsor) and Mitchell Croft (MacEwan University) join the program, along with freshmen Roman Payne, Magnus Hettervik and Thatcher Fahlbusch.

“They have no idea how much their lives are going to change over the next few months,” Wade said of the newcomers. “Just what they’re going to experience and how recognizable they’ll become in the community — that part is pretty exciting for them.”

Beyond talent, Wade stressed the daily commitment required to sustain success.

“Words are easy. Action, lifestyle is a whole different thing,” Wade said. “Everybody loves the idea of being a champion and playing in front of sold-out crowds. Not everybody embraces showing up every day and being the best version of yourself.”

For the players, the message is clear. Consistency — night after night — is the next step.

“I think last year we showed we had the potential to be the best team on any given night,” Rosenthal said. “This year we need to be the best team every night.”

Junior outside hitter Louis Sakanoko echoed that sentiment as the season opener approaches.

“We’re all really excited,” Sakanoko said. “We’ve been waiting six months for this. We know we have the team to win a championship, but now we need to put in the effort and be consistent enough to beat every team every night.”

Hawai‘i enters Friday’s match with a 38-9 all-time record in season openers, including a 14-2 mark under Wade. The Warriors have won 12 straight season-opening matches dating back to 2014 and are 3-0 all-time against NJIT, all wins coming in straight sets in Honolulu.

Wade begins his 17th season as head coach and holds a 319-131 career record. Last season, he became the winningest coach in program history, surpassing Mike Wilton.