Hawaii secures Utah EDGE transfer Ka’eo Akana away from UCLA commitment

Hawaii secures Utah EDGE transfer Ka’eo Akana away from UCLA commitment

Jan 13, 2025

EDGE Ka’eo Akana poses for a photo with Hawai’i football head coach Timmy Chang, Hawai’i defensive ends coach Jordan Pu’u-Robinson and Akana’s nephew Kash.

Hawai’i secures Utah EDGE transfer Ka’eo Akana away from UCLA commitment

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED JANUARY 13, 2025

Ka’eo Akana used to follow brothers Bubba and Chase to high school football practice for Saint Francis School in Manoa Valley District Park growing up.

Now at 21 years old, Akana is coming full circle as he will be taking classes in Manoa as a member of the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors in 2025.

Akana comes to the Hawai’i football team via the transfer portal with two years of eligibility after spending three years at Utah. He previously committed to play for UCLA on Dec. 17 of last year, but spent his winter break at his family’s home in Pauoa Valley.

“My plans for the future are to stay home and play for the home team,” Akana told HSRN on Monday. “It’s just a great opportunity to play in front of my friends and family.

“You can’t beat home. Home is still home and that will always be what we live for. We want to defend the rock, and that’s what we’ll do.”

Ka’eo Akana tackles a ballcarrier in Aloha Stadium during the 2019 high school football season. | Photo credit: Michael Lasquero for ScoringLive

The 6-foot-3, 233-pound pass rusher was a 4-star prospect out of high school and was rated as the No. 1 player in the state from the 2022 class by 247Sports. Because Saint Francis School closed down in 2019, Akana finished his prep career at Roosevelt and also earned OIA and ScoringLive All-Hawaii Division I Defensive Player of the Year honors in his senior season.

Akana will reunite with former Roosevelt and Saint Francis defensive end Jackie Johnson III on the Rainbow Warriors. Johnson, who began his collegiate career in the NAIA playing for Lawrence Tech in Michigan, recorded five sacks in 2024 and was recently placed on scholarship.

“It was always a dream of ours to play at home in front of our families and play together so that was good for me and Jack to reunite,” Akana said.

Relationships forged with the Hawai’i coaching staff also played a factor in Akana’s decision. Head coach Timmy Chang and other members of the staff made Akana feel like a priority when they had lunch with him at Kim Chee II in Kaimuki on the first day of the portal period.

Defensive ends coach Jordan Pu’u-Robinson also impressed Akana with his acumen and expertise in Akana’s position group while associate head coach and linebackers coach Chris Brown already had a relationship with Akana from Brown’s time at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas when the Akana family considered sending Akana there during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“They just welcomed me with open arms and loved me, loved my family and that’s all you can really ask for, is that love and that relationship,” Akana said.

“Coach Pu’u-Robinson, he’s a really good coach. He coaches hard and I feel like that’s what I need so it should be good. Yeah it’ll be fun.”

During the winter break, Akana also trained with renowned strength coach Marcus-Lawrie Kimura and former Hawai’i defensive end Jonah Kahahawai-Welch and reconnected with longtime mentor and Roosevelt defensive coordinator Jon Kahooilihala.

“The training has been good,” Akana said. “The field work with Jonah, we do that three times a week and then Marcus is every day, so yeah we’ve been going at it.

“Just being back in Hawai’i, you know, there’s no other feeling. It’s Hawaii, and this is our home, so you can’t beat this.”

Hawai’i football begins spring practice on Feb. 3.

Kearney service turn helps save Hawai’i in five-set Harvard thriller

Kearney service turn helps save Hawai’i in five-set Harvard thriller

Jan 10, 2025

Hawai’i OH/OPP Finn Kearney goes back to serve for the Rainbow Warriors. The freshman helped UH score the final four points in a 5th set comeback against Harvard on Friday. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Kearney service turn helps save Hawai’i in five-set Harvard thriller

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JANUARY 10, 2025

HONOLULU – Upset attempt denied. 

The No. 4 University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team overcame 22 errors from the service line on Friday night to down unranked Harvard in five sets, (25-17, 25-27, 25-15, 21-25, 16-14). Kristian Titriyski led the Rainbow Warriors with a match-best 18 kills on 37 swings but committed 11 errors on an up-and-down night for the entire group. 

The hosts hit .395 as a group but committed 50 errors in total as some of the inexperience and unfamiliarity of the talented Hawai’i team showed through as UH beat the Crimson for the second time this week. Adrien Roure finished with double-digit kills for the third time in four outings, tallying 14 putdowns on 28 swings, but had 12 errors of his own. 

Fellow freshman Finn Kearney was one of the lone flawless Rainbow Warriors, appearing in all five sets and not committing a miscue of any kind. The left-handed outside hitter/opposite was especially efficient behind the service line, finishing the night as the only Hawai’i player with 10+ service attempts and zero errors (Kearney served 12 times without an error) while also sizzling in an ace.  

Harvard (0-2) used eight service aces to help push the match the full distance, seeing three in the second set help the Crimson capitalize on eight errors from UH to tie the match at a set apiece. The visitors out of the EIVA committed less errors than Hawai’i from the service line in all but the first set as they attempted an early season upset bid against one of the top teams in the country. 

Hawai’i (4-0) jumped out to an early four-point lead behind straight aces from Kristian Titriyski, sandwiched by a kill and a block from Kurt Nusterer, and forced a timeout from the Crimson. The stoppage did little to slow down Hawai’i, who grew the lead to six by the media timeout and eventually took the opening frame 25-17 behind an ace from redshirt freshman Justin Todd, who made his first career start as Ofeck Hazan missed the contest nursing a minor injury. 

Harvard committed eight service errors in the first set while Hawai’i twisted home three aces and only three errors from behind the line. The Rainbow Warriors hit a hot .421 as a team in the frame while the Crimson were held to hitting just .292, a continuation of Wednesday’s dominance for UH. 

The Rainbow Warriors took a slim 15-14 lead into the second set media timeout, seeing five errors from the service line weigh down any chance at early separation from the Crimson. The serve game continued plaguing the Rainbow Warriors while providing a boost for the visitors, who tied the second frame at 21 after a pair of aces from Logan Shepherd to force a timeout from Charlie Wade. 

The Crimson grabbed the upper hand late after a Louis Sakanoko swing caught too much net, using the advantage to eventually take the second stanza after three set point chances. Tying a game-high eight errors from the service line while having three errant swings in-system, Hawai’i miscues accounted for nearly half of the Crimson points in the second set. 

The hosts wasted little time taking control in the third frame, racing out to a 10-6 advantage behind the heavy swings of Titriyski and Roure. With Kearney and Todd getting back in on the freshmen fun, Hawai’i grew the lead to as many as seven before Harvard signaled for timeout down 20-13. 

The timeout did not stop the Hawai’i momentum as the Rainbow Warriors scored five of the next seven points to take the important swing set in commanding fashion, 25-15. UH hit an eye-popping .455 as a team, easily overcoming six service errors with 13 kills on 22 swings and three aces buoying the team to an important lead, two sets to one. Harvard struggled mightily in the frame, hitting .000 and committing six attacking errors. 

Again, Hawai’i proved to be its own worst enemy in the fourth set with six attacking errors and another two serving mistakes helping Harvard remain alive and force a fifth set. The Crimson made sure to take advantage of the free points, committing zero attacking errors themselves as they started to send an unsettling feeling throughout the Stan Sheriff Center with threats towards Hawai’i’s perfect record. 

Harvard built upon the fourth set momentum in the penultimate frame, taking an 8-7 lead with a double block as the teams swapped sides. Shepherd’s fifth ace of the contest followed, helping the Crimson go on a run to open a 12-9 lead before Titriyski solo blocked Miha Okorn and reignited the crowd and forced a timeout. 

After a timeout, Harvard took the next two points to push Hawai’i to the brink and force a timeout from Charlie Wade. After Justin Todd smashed a UH return of a Crimson serve, Wade reinserted Kearney to take the biggest service turn of the night with no room for error as Hawai’i trailed, 14-12. 

The freshman calmly delivered four straight perfect offerings, helping Hawai’i slingshot from down two to an “aloha ball” chance. After Kearney smacked over the final serve, Harvard’s return was quickly sent back into earth by Todd as Hawai’i delivered fans a heart-stopping win in five sets. 

Kearney finished with four kills on seven swings, not committing a hitting error in any of his five sets of work. Justin Todd added four kills of his own while tying a career high with five total blocks, including the match-winner, in his first career start. 

Tread Rosenthal filled the box sheet, dishing out 47 assists, getting a hand in on four blocks and tallying six kills on eight attempts while matching ‘Eleu Choy’s team-best seven digs in the win. Kurt Nusterer set a new career-high with nine kills and recorded a season-best six blocks as the redshirt junior continued easing back into form. 

Hawai’i returns to action next Wednesday, hosting No. 19 Princeton for a pair of matches to close out a six-game homestand to open the season. The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in EIVA this season and will open their 2025 slate on Saturday at No. 7 USC. 

Wade’s NCAA debut highlights Hawaii men’s volleyball sweep over Harvard

Wade’s NCAA debut highlights Hawaii men’s volleyball sweep over Harvard

Jan 8, 2025

 

Hawai’i freshman OPP Kainoa Wade smiles during the third set against Harvard Wednesday night in his first NCAA match of his career. | Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Wade’s NCAA DEBUT HIGHLIGHTS HAWAII MEN’S VOLLEYBALL SWEEP OVER HARVARD

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED JANUARY 8, 2025

HONOLULU — All systems are a go for Kainoa Wade.

The freshman opposite made his NCAA debut in the second set of a sweep of Harvard and finished with eight kills on 15 swings against no hitting errors in the Hawai’i men’s volleyball team’s 25-18, 25-17, 25-20 win before a crowd of 3,674 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center Wednesday night.

Wade helped Kamehameha to its first state title since 2011 last spring before graduating early from high school a month ago, but had to sit out of the first two matches of the season while waiting for his NCAA eligibility paperwork to get cleared.

Everything was finally sorted out just a few hours before match time to set up Wade’s debut.

“It was a surreal experience for sure,” said Wade.

“It’s been a long time coming, so to be able to show the fans — and all the support I get from the state of Hawai’i as a whole — is something special for sure.”

Hawai’i head coach Charlie Wade, the father of Kainoa, also couldn’t help but get a little emotional when talking about his son’s debut.

“I’ve said I’ve traveled all over the parent recruiting people and this one I didn’t have to leave the driveway,” coach Wade said. “It’s a pretty cool moment for sure.”

Coach Wade said the plan initially was to bring in the freshman opposite sometime in the third set depending on the match situation, but made the move a set earlier with starter Kristian Titriyski hitting .000 on seven swings in the opening stanza.

The younger Wade would deliver with set and match-ending kills from the right side in the final two frames for the Rainbow Warriors (3-0) and finished the night hitting .533.

“We needed a lift so we took the opportunity to roll Kainoa out there in the second set,” said coach Wade. “He’s worked hard for a long time, he’s a good player so we knew we were going to get to this point. It’s nice to be able to go to the bench and have a guy come off the bench and hit .500 and help you win against a pretty veteran team.”

The match overall was also a showcase of the Rainbow Warriors’ overall depth at the hitter positions.

Grad transfer Clay Wieter played one set before giving way to sophomore Louis Sakanoko, who emerged as a starter towards the second half of the 2024 season. Finn Kearney also saw his first action at the outside hitter position in place of Adrien Roure while Justin Todd replaced Kurt Nusterer at middle blocker in the third set.

It was a quieter night for Roure, who averaged 15 kills a match in last week’s series against McKendree, but he still finished with a team-high nine kills.

Fellow freshman Ofeck Hazan had his best performance of the season playing all three sets at middle blocker to the tune of six kills on 10 swings with six total blocks and no hitting errors.

Hazan — who is from Israel, which has a 12-hour time difference from Hawai’i —reflected on the opportunity to be living out his dream playing for the Rainbow Warriors.

“(I’ve been) waiting for this moment for three years now,” said Hazan. “Because (of) the time difference, I used to wake up and watch the entire game they had the day before so I’m a really big fan of the program.

“Just this week I had this conversation with my parents. I told them ‘you remember the days I use to wake up early just to check the score, the live score and now I’m here. I’m going on the court, I’m watching all the amazing fans we got and I cannot describe the amazing feeling it is.”

Logan Shepherd put down 12 kills and Owen Fanning had 11 more to lead the Crimson (0-1) in their season opening loss.

The two teams will play again 7 p.m. Friday at Stan Sheriff Center in a non-televised game.

Kalani pulls away from Kalaheo in OIA East action, 56-27

Kalani pulls away from Kalaheo in OIA East action, 56-27

Jan 7, 2025

The Kalani girls basketball team continued its winning ways with a 57-26 win over host Kalaheo in an OIA East contest at Pete Smith Court Tuesday night.

The Falcons were strong defensively in the first quarter and held the Mustangs without a field goal as they took a 17-5 lead after the first eight minutes of play and never looked back.

It was the fourth win in a row for Kalani (11-5 overall, 4-3 league), who dropped its first three games of the regular season.

“The first three losses that we had, we definitely dwelled on it and then we just gave up before our coaches told us not to get it in our heads too much and that we still have a bunch of more games in the season to turn it around,” said junior forward Alina Stephenson.

“Coming together as a team is definitely one thing that we improved on. Beginning of the season, it was a little rough because I think we’re worried about ourselves and individually, so coming together is definitely one thing better I would say.”

Stephenson poured in a game-high 20 points while garnering many steals and rebounds and earned HSRN’s “VIP of the Game” award, which is presented by Fun Factory.

Kalani also got seven made 3-pointers in the game, highlighted by Kylie Awakuni’s season-high 12 points on four triples off the bench.

“I’m super proud of her,” Stephenson said of Awakuni. “I think that’s the best she’s ever done and I’m so happy that she came and stepped up to the game.”

Isabelle Baker scored nine points with one made triple after battling with foul trouble while Mia Garvin rounds out the top scorers with eight points. Which included back-to-back 3-pointers to give Kalani a 12-2 lead early in the game

Kalaheo, who was dealing with a number of injuries, dropped to 1-9 and 1-7.

Taysha Ukauka was a bright spot for the Mustangs with 16 points.

Hawai’i sweeps pair against McKendree with straight set Sunday win

Hawai’i sweeps pair against McKendree with straight set Sunday win

Jan 5, 2025

Hawai’i OPP Kristian Titriyski during a home match against No. 20 McKendree. The freshman had 17 kills in the second meeting in three nights between the teams, leading UH to a sweep. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i sweeps pair against McKendree with straight set Sunday win

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JANUARY 5, 2025

HONOLULU – Two for two. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team took the second of two weekend meetings with the McKendree Bearcats on Sunday, sweeping the 20th-ranked visitors in straight sets – (25-20, 25-19, 25-16) – behind freshman Kristian Titriyski’s 17 kills and two service aces to cap off a perfect opening weekend. 

Fellow freshman Adrien Roure finished off 13 kills of his own, giving him 30 total putdowns on the weekend as the Rainbow Warriors (2-0) remained perfect all-time against McKendree (0-2) in four total meetings with the Bearcats. Sophomore setter Tread Rosenthal added 40 assists, three kills and a team-best six digs in the sweep, piloting the offense to a .463 hitting percentage over the three frames. 

McKendree was led by D’Aaron McCraney’s eight kills on an efficient 11 swings, seeing the 6-foot-9 senior collect a team-high three blocks. Sophomore setter Nathan Flayter handed out 26 assists for the Bearcats, smacking two aces while giving the Rainbow Warriors some issues with a hybrid serving style. 

Hawai’i battled back multiple times throughout the opening set, erasing a four-point deficit midway through the frame to come back and take it, 25-20, behind a potent attack that hit a scorching .625 on 24 swings while only committing two hitting errors. Kristian Titriyski, who played sparingly on Friday night as he continued to recover from an illness that effected a multitude of Hawai’i’s men’s volleyball starters, hit .800 by himself on 10 swings and added one of three aces by UH in the stanza. 

The accumulation of aces continued into the second set, seeing Tread Rosenthal and Titriyski each add second aces while the Rainbow Warriors hit .478 on 23 swings to take a slim 15-14 advantage into the media timeout. Hawai’i’s attack continued on, seeing redshirt junior Kurt Nusterer deliver his third kill of the night for the set winner as the Rainbow Warriors continued to heat up. 

Hawai’i fired away to open the third set, scoring seven of the first nine points to force a McKendree timeout. The dominance continued into the media timeout, seeing the Rainbow Warriors lead 15-9 behind seven kills and only one hitting error on 12 swings. Senior Kawai Hong enjoyed a few fun, high-effort moments while recording a pair of digs to help UH cruise to a third frame win and the sweep, 25-16. 

Harvard will visit the islands later this week, facing off with Hawai’i on Wednesday at 7 p.m. HT for the first of two matches in three days. The Crimson received votes in the season-opening AVCA Coaches’ Poll and will be kicking off their season in the islands after not playing during the opening weekend. 

Talented new faces make strong impression in Hawai’i season-opening win over McKendree

Talented new faces make strong impression in Hawai’i season-opening win over McKendree

Jan 3, 2025

Hawai’i men’s volleyball players huddle during season-opening match against No. 20 McKendree. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Talented new faces make strong impression in Hawai’i season-opening win over McKendree

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED JANUARY 3, 2025

HONOLULU – Out with the old, in with the new. 

Led by strong debuts from a transfer and a few freshmen, the No. 4 University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team kicked off the 2025 season in style, winning the program’s 12th straight season-opening match under head coach Charlie Wade by dispatching the No. 20 McKendree Bearcats (0-1) in four sets – (25-20, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22). Freshman outside hitter Adrien Roure finished his collegiate debut with a match-best 17 kills while rocketing a pair of services aces for good measure while senior outside Clay Wieter tallied 14 kills himself in his Rainbow Warrior debut.

Hawai’i returned three starters (8 total players) from last year’s 23-7 squad that finished as the 5th-best team in the country according to the final AVCA poll. While there was a solid returning base, the program was tasked with big reload after the graduation of all-time program greats Spyros Chakas and Guilherme Voss and the highly productive Alaka’i Todd and Chaz Galloway while key reserve Keoni Thiim transferred to BYU for his final season of eligibility. 

In came the 2024 recruiting class, one that had been quietly (and not-so-quietly) pumped up as an elite group with Roure playing crown jewel in a group of gemstone players with national team experiences. The Rainbow Warriors started three freshmen in Friday night’s season opener, seeing the latest Frenchman on the roster in the opening rotation along with middle blocker Ofeck Hazan and opposite Kristian Titriyski. 

Hazan came to the islands this year after becoming a member of the Israeli senior national team while Titriyski helped Bulgaria to a third-place finish in the European Championships in 2022 and was named as the Best Scorer at the 2023 U19 FIVB World Championship after totaling 161 points throughout the competition. Roure helped lead France to the country’s first-ever volleyball world title, regardless of age group or gender, in 2023 at the same U19 FIVB World Championship in Puerto Rico as the 6-foot-5 outside hitter posted 11 kills and four blocks in a four-set win over Iran in the title match. 

Wieter transferred to UH after spending the last four years at Lindenwood out of the MIVA, getting the start against a familiar McKendree squad that he played just last season while Kurt Nusterer, ‘Eleu Choy and floor captain Tread Rosenthal rounded out the first seven for Hawai’i on Friday.  

The Rainbow Warriors (1-0) jumped out to a two-point advantage by the first set’s media timeout, using four kills off the red-hot right arm of Roure to help counteract five service errors in the early going by UH. McKendree tried to slow the momentum of the hosts with an unsuccessful challenge on a net touch and a timeout on the point after but simply delayed an inevitable opening frame win for the Rainbow Warriors, 25-20. 

Roure totaled a set-high six kills on seven swings and hit a scorching .857 in the frame while fellow freshman Kristian Titriyski, who spent a large portion of the last week sick, racked up three aces to power Hawai’i to an early one-set advantage on opening night.

Teams traded scores to begin the second set before McKendree rattled off five straight points to double up Hawai’i and go up 10-5, forcing a timeout from UH head coach Charlie Wade. The breather helped the Rainbow Warriors settle back down, twisting together three points in a row and force the Bearcats to call for a timeout of their own. 

Despite the response by Hawai’i, the Rainbow Warriors were unable to overcome the early 5-0 run that gave McKendree a cushion to begin with as the Bearcats knotted the match at one set apiece with a 25-20 decision in the second frame. 

The third set saw some changes to the rotation as redshirt freshman Justin Todd and true freshman Finn Kearney opened the frame trying to provide a lift while the Rainbow Warriors worked towards consistency. The fresh legs provided a boost at the net defensively for UH, recording 4.5 blocks in the frame after having only one through the first two sets and helping get the Stan Sheriff Center crowd into the action. 

“I think the crowd had a lot to do with that comeback in that third set,” Wade said postgame. “That’s one of those that you start to feel it, [the crowd] starts getting into it and it is the wind in our sails.” 

Kearney, another one of the highly talented freshmen to come into the program during the offseason, spent time playing for the United States’ U19 national team in the offseason and helped the USA to a runner-up finish in the same U19 FIVB World Championship tournament in 2023. Even in his international travels, the freshman admitted that the fan support the team felt on opening night was special. 

Hawai’i freshman Finn Kearney attacks over the McKendree block during his college debut. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

“There’s nothing like it,” Kearney said of the atmosphere created by Hawai’i fans. “It’s magical, that’s one word I’ll use. I’ve never gotten the chills standing back there at the service line that much, I mean, it’s a different feeling for sure so that’s cool to experience.” 

Like the previous stanza, both sides traded points to a 6-6 tie in the third set before the Bearcats ripped off four points in a row to force a timeout with UH trailing 10-6. After a McKendree challenge flipped a two-point game to a four-point lead, Todd started to make his presence felt as he smashed one into the floor before getting a hand on three straight returns from the visitors to help Hawai’i slingshot ahead in the pivotal set, 15-14. 

Behind the continued cheers of the raucous SSC crowd, Hawai’i scored seven of the final nine points of the frame and erase a 20-18 disadvantage to take the third set, 25-22. Kearney, Roure and Wieter led the way in the set to secure the advantage, showing off mental fortitude in a big opening match moment and building on the flipped momentum from Justin Todd’s three kills and three blocks in the middle of the frame. 

Hawai’i jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the fourth stanza, building off the momentum of the third set with the help of the thousands of screaming voices in attendance. They would double the lead to go up 12-6 before McKendree strung together three points in a row to force a timeout from the Rainbow Warriors. 

The Bearcats continued the rampage, eventually tying the set at 16 before the Rainbow Warriors recovered and inched back ahead by two. A UH challenge on an in-or-out call helped give the hosts an important four-point advantage, 22-18, before back-to-back errors by Tread Rosenthal allowed McKendree some new life and forced a timeout from Wade. 

After an ace and an error at the service line by McKendree’s Sam Hoskin, UH’s Ofeck Hazan buried a set up from Rosenthal to give the Rainbow Warriors the first “Aloha Ball” chance of the season. While Roure couldn’t finish it, committing a service error on the next turn, Hawai’i wasted little time playing around as Kearney ended any Bearcats comeback hopes with the game-winning smash to end the fourth set, 25-22. 

Kearney and Hazan each finished with seven kills and appeared in each of the four sets played throughout the night. The two added three combined blocks as the net defense turned into offense as the match went on. 

“I think what you saw tonight is going to be relatively common in that you’ll see some really good performances and you’ll see some kind of peaks and valleys,” Wade said of his talented team’s opening night performance. “It’s nice to be able to make what could be lateral substitutions. When we’ve got a guy out there and he’s struggling a little bit, you can go to the next guy up.” 

McKendree was led by Kevin Schuele, who racked up 15 kills and eight digs for the Bearcats while teammate Sam Hoskin added 13 kills but struggled with seven errors (four service, three reception) in the loss. The 20th-ranked Bearcats will take aim at 4th-ranked Hawai’i once again on Sunday with first serve scheduled for 5:00 p.m. HT.