Hawaii Pacific’s magic carpet ride ends in NCAA Tournament opening round

Hawaii Pacific’s magic carpet ride ends in NCAA Tournament opening round

Mar 13, 2026

Hawaii Pacific’s magic carpet ride ends in NCAA Tournament opening round

The HPU Men’s Basketball team huddles during the NCAA Division II tournament opening round. | Photo Credit: KLC Fotos

 

All good things must come to an end.

After a season that started with a historic upset at Boise State and provided multiple other memorable moments on the way to the third NCAA Tournament berth in program history, the No. 7-seeded Hawaii Pacific University men’s basketball team saw the 2025-26 campaign close out on Friday afternoon as they fell to the Saint Martin’s University Saints in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, 75-68.

Joshua West led the way with 16 points and nine rebounds in his final game for the Sharks, completing a senior campaign that saw him become the first HPU men’s basketball player to earn All-PacWest 1st-team honors since Niksha Federico in 2018 and finish as one of three PacWest players to receive CCA All-West Region honors in 2026.

Joshua West puts up a jump shot over a defender in the opening round of the NCAA Division II tournament against Saint Martin’s. | Photo Credit: KLC Fotos

Hawaii Pacific (18-12) fought through a slow offensive start, using eight early points from Josh Niusulu to remain within a bucket of the Saints through the first nine minutes of action. Niusulu finished the day as one of three Sharks in double figures with 11 points and three rebounds, playing his final collegiate game just 30 minutes from his hometown.

Six straight points from Quinton McCullough helped push HPU ahead momentarily and a triple from Quentin Meza sparked a 18-6 run that sent the Sharks into the halftime break leading by double figures, 36-25. Hawaii Pacific’s defense held Saint Martin’s to under 30% shooting from the floor as a group and limited GNAC Player of the Year Kaden Hansen to six points and a 0-for-5 showing from long distance over the opening 20 minutes.

The HPU lead grew as large as 14 in the second half as McCullough, West and Niusulu took turns finishing inside the lane after action resumed. Dae’Kwon Watson and Diego Trejo-Delgado helped stabilize the SMU offense, but a silky step back jumper from West and a pair of layups from Maj Dusanic kept the Sharks up double digits with 12:09 to play.

Hawaii Pacific’s offense went missing for the final 12 minutes, hitting on 5 of their final 21 attempts from the floor while turning the ball over five times and making 4-of-6 from the free throw line as the Saints stormed back.

Long distance makes by Patrick Kilfoil and Watson powered the rally for Saint Martin’s, sparking a 13-0 run that put the No. 2 seed in the West region ahead with five minutes to play, 63-57.  The Saints would not trail again.

Meza gave the Sharks one last gasp, tying the game at 66 with 2:08 remaining, but back-to-back triples from Kilfoil and Watson provided the daggers into HPU’s season as the Saints took the opening round game of the NCAA Tournament, 75-68.

Quentin Meza was the third player to finish in double figures for HPU, racking up 15 points for the Sharks and drilling two of the six total made 3-pointers by the No. 7 seed out of the PacWest. Quinton McCullough tallied nine points, six rebounds and three assists while dealing with foul troubles throughout the second half.

CCA All-West Region 2nd-team selection Diego Trejo-Delgado paced No. 2 SMU with 19 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks while Dae’Kwon Watson added 18 points on five made 3-pointers off the bench for the Saints in the win.

No. 2 seed Saint Martin’s (26-5) advances to the second round of the NCAA West Regional, taking on No. 3 seed and PacWest champion Point Loma at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday at Hayward Gymnasium on the campus of top-seeded Cal State East Bay.

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Flavell’s late heroics help No. 4 Hawaii stun top-seeded UC Irvine

Flavell’s late heroics help No. 4 Hawaii stun top-seeded UC Irvine

Mar 13, 2026

Flavell’s late heroics help No. 4 Hawaii stun top-seeded UC Irvine

Hawaii G Bailey Flavell & Keiara Curtis run down the court during a home game. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

 

Fabulous freshman to the rescue.

Behind late heroics from Big West Freshman of the Year Bailey Flavell, the No. 4-seeded University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team stunned top-seeded UC Irvine (26-6) in overtime of the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Championship semifinals on Friday afternoon, 67-63.

Flavell paced the Rainbow Wahine with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including the game-tying three with 7.7 seconds to play in regulation and a go-ahead jumper with 1:28 left in overtime that ultimately proved to be the game-winner for UH.

“Proud of our group,” head coach Laura Beeman said following the win by Hawai’i. “We have three kids that were in double figures and three people that were at nine [points], and it’s really hard to beat a team that plays team ball.”

Senior forwards Imani Perez and Saniyah Neverson were the other two UH players to eclipse double digit points as Perez scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in a team-high 41 minutes of work while Neverson chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks for the Rainbow Wahine.

Freshman guard Teyahna Bond scored nine points and dished out five assists off the bench for Hawai’i (22-10) while redshirt junior guard Jovi Lefotu added a critical nine points of her own, including an 8-0 run to close the third quarter that helped send the Rainbow Wahine into the final 10 minutes of regulation leading by 10.

Sophomore center Ritorya Tamilo, the 2026 Big West Sixth Player of the Year, tacked on nine points, three boards and three blocks in 22 minutes off the bench, helping Hawai’i hold UC Irvine to 29% shooting overall.

“This is who we have been all year long, even when we were 0-5 to start the [Big West schedule],” Beeman said after her young team after reaching the program’s third Big West Championship game in the last five years. “This group never stopped working, they never stopped believing, they never stopped next play mentality.”

Hawai’i started quickly behind a trio of 3-pointers from Imani Perez, taking a 20-16 lead over UC Irvine after 10 minutes of play. It was the third straight game that the Rainbow Wahine offense was able to post a 20-spot in the opening quarter and the second time in 13 frames against the Anteaters that UH eclipsed 20-plus points in a single period.

The UC Irvine offense started to rev up in the second quarter behind Big West Player of the Year Hunter Hernandez, who scored nine of her game-high 33 points in the frame and hit a triple to put UCI up by a point over Hawai’i with 2:18 left. UH closed with a 10-0 run, seeing Bond and Tamilo take turns with personal five-point flurries to send the fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine into the locker rooms leading 39-30 over the Anteaters.

Hernandez continued on the hunt for UCI when play resumed in the second half, attacking for six more points in the third quarter before Big West Newcomer of the Year Jada Wynn drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to bring the Anteaters within two with 2:46 left in the frame.

Looking to slow down the UC Irvine momentum, the Rainbow Wahine turned to Lefotu and saw the redshirt junior turn back the clock to flashes of her ‘Iolani stardom as she drilled back-to-back triples of her own and ripped off eight straight points to send UH into the fourth quarter leading by 10.

“I know in the first half I was rushing some or forcing some shots that weren’t there,” Lefotu said when asked about what sparked her finish to the third frame. “Just trusting my shot going into the second half, just doing what the defense was giving me.”

Wynn and Hernandez helped UCI storm back in the final frame of regulation, combining for 15 of the team’s 18 points in the fourth, draining a trio of triples to help push the Anteaters ahead by three with 12 seconds left to play.

In need of a big-time bucket, Beeman and her staff turned to their big-time player.

Flavell, the leading scorer for the Rainbow Wahine and second consecutive winner of the Big West Freshman of the Year award for the program, stepped to the moment and calmly cashed in a 26-footer from behind the arc to tie the game at 60 with 7.7 seconds remaining, forcing an extra period to decide a winner in the rubber match between UCI and UH.

For the second time in as many days, the Rainbow Wahine defense suffocated an opponent in overtime as UC Irvine only mustered three points in the extra period, taking a 63-62 lead midway through the frame before failing to score again.

Flavell again provided the punch for UH, hitting a tough turnaround jumper over the outstretched arms of UCI’s Lauryn Madsen to put the Rainbow Wahine in front for good with 1:28 to play.

Jovi Lefotu split a pair of free throws to make it a two-point lead for Hawai’i and Flavell sank two from the charity stripe with six seconds left to put the game out of reach and send the fourth-seeded Rainbow Wahine back to the Big West Championship game for the first time since 2023.

UH’s reserves played a major role in the win, outscoring the UC Irvine bench, 31-7. Despite committing double the number of turnovers as the Anteaters, the Rainbow Wahine were only outscored on points off giveaways by two.

Hernandez and Wynn were the lone two UCI players to score in double figures on Friday, seeing Hernandez go for a game-high 33 points while Wynn added 18 along with four assists.

Hawai’i will take on No. 2-seed and Big West regular season co-champion UC San Diego on Saturday at noon HT / 3 p.m. PT in the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Women’s Basketball Championship game with the conference crown and an automatic bid into the 2026 NCAA Tournament on the line.

“The bottom line is our glue has been celebrating each other, our glue has been their mental toughness and next play mentality,” Beeman reminded ahead of the conference title game. “That’s not going to change … The message is the same. Go do Hawai’i basketball, go be who you are. If they do that, we’ll be okay.”

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Titriyski returns as Hawaii sweeps Mount Olive at Outrigger Invitational

Titriyski returns as Hawaii sweeps Mount Olive at Outrigger Invitational

Mar 13, 2026

Titriyski returns as Hawaii sweeps Mount Olive at Outrigger Invitational

MANOA — Welcome back Kristian Titriyski.

The All-American opposite recorded a match-high 10 kills in his first appearance in nearly a month as the University of Hawai‘i men’s volleyball team swept Mount Olive 25-18, 25-19, 25-17 on the opening day of the 30th Outrigger Invitational at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center Thursday night.

Titriyski, who missed the Rainbow Warriors’ previous 11 matches with an injury, also added two service aces, three digs and three blocks in the victory.

“It feels good to be back there in front of the fans playing,” Titriyski said. “It was just nice to play. It’s a quick win and we’re looking forward to the next games.”

Hawai‘i (16-2) dominated offensively, hitting a season-best .603 while committing only six attack errors on 63 swings.

Coach Charlie Wade said the team’s depth contributed to the efficient performance.

“It was good to get some guys some run,” Wade said. “Again pretty pleased with the offensive efficiency. No matter who we rolled out there, they seemed to do a nice job.”

Titriyski entered the match in the second set, receiving a loud ovation from the crowd of 3,329. He finished the set with six kills and two blocks.

“I’m really happy to see that reaction from the fans,” Titriyski said. “It makes me really happy and I’m thankful for that.”

A total of 13 Hawai‘i players saw action in the match.

Finn Kearney tallied nine kills while hitting .667 and added two aces and a block. Louis Sakanoko contributed six kills on .500 hitting, while Adrien Roure finished with five kills in one set of play.

Setter Tread Rosenthal paced the offense with 36 assists to go along with six digs and three kills.

Freshman outside hitter Thatcher Fahlbusch also made an impact, recording four kills on four swings without an error in his third appearance of the season.

The Rainbow Warriors totaled nine service aces, including a career-high four from Justin Todd.

Friday’s matches at the Outrigger Invitational were canceled, but Saturday’s slate — including Hawai‘i’s scheduled matchup against No. 1 UCLA — remains on schedule pending weather conditions.

Sharks baseball bounce back to earn split against Azusa Pacific

Sharks baseball bounce back to earn split against Azusa Pacific

Mar 9, 2026

Sharks baseball bounce back to earn split against Azusa Pacific

The Sharks celebrate after Noah Hata hit a home run against Azusa Pacific. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

WAIPAHU — After two heartbreaking losses to start the series, the Hawai’i Pacific University baseball team had a prime opportunity to reveal what kind of team it was.

Not only did the Sharks win the next two games against Asuza Pacific University to split the season series, they did it in convincing fashion with two blowout wins last Saturday at Hans L’Orange Park.

HPU (10-11) won the first game of Saturday’s double-header, 8-1, before recording 14 hits in a 10-2 win over the Cougars (10-14) in the nightcap.

It was the type of performance that coach Dane Fujinaka wanted to see from his squad after losing a pair of leads in the eighth inning the previous two nights.

“Proud of the response,” said Fujinaka. “We executed the plans we set out and the boys did a great showing up with great energy after two tough losses. Nice to see our toughness show up.”

In the series opener against APU Thursday night, HPU held a 5-2 lead after captain Noah Hata’s first home run of the season before giving up three runs in the top of the eighth on a pair of homers by the Cougars. The game remained tied for six consecutive innings before ending in the 15th with APU winning game one, 9-7.

Friday night did not go into extra innings, but it was a lot tighter with the lead exchanging hands a couple of times before a bases-loaded walk gave HPU a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth. APU ultimately tied it in the top of the eighth on a solo home run before taking the lead for good on a HPU error in the ninth inning for a 6-5 win.

“I told the boys that despite the 2-2 record, we got better,” Fujinaka said. “Losing those two close games will ultimately prepare us for tight games in the future that we will need to learn how to eventually win. We are in a good spot and we are definitely playing better all-around baseball.”

Tyler Arnold earned PacWest Player of the Week honors after a strong showing against Azusa Pacific. | Photo: Daniel Fujita

t wasn’t a series win, but the Sharks did earn some hardware from the PacWest conference after the strong showing in Saturday’s double-header win.

Sophomore corner infielder Tyler Arnold batted 11-for-18 in the series with four doubles, six runs scored and eight RBI to earn Player of the Week honors in the conference. He had three hits in two of the games and four in another. In the final game of the series, Arnold went 4-for-4 with five RBI and three doubles.

Utility Jayden Gabrillo, another sophomore, earned his second Pitcher of the Week award by pitching five scoreless innings in game four of the APU series. He allowed just one hit, walked just one batter and struck out three on an efficient 50 pitches.

Overall, Fujinaka was pleased with multiple performances from his squad.

“Taydem Hashimoto was an all star this weekend both defensively and offensively. Hata is starting to dial in his approach and is finally looking like himself. Arnold and Kan Taguchi have been great. Gabrillo has been outstanding offensively and I thought was just okay on the mound today despite the good results. But nice to see him workout off it and get in a rhythm. Thought he was better in the later innings.

Reliever Jacob Vanek throws a pitch to plate against Azusa Pacific. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Super happy with the performance of our bullpen the entire weekend. I know they were tired and I asked a lot of them this weekend but they did a great job.”

Next up for HPU, a home series against reigning PacWest champion Westmont (14-5). The four-game series was initially scheduled for Friday and Saturday, but has been pushed back to March 15 and 16 due to upcoming weather.

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Long Beach State spoils Senior Night in Hawaii behind Sykes’ 34

Long Beach State spoils Senior Night in Hawaii behind Sykes’ 34

Mar 7, 2026

Long Beach State spoils Senior Night in Hawaii behind Sykes’ 34

The 2026 UH men’s basketball senior class (from left to right: Gytis Nemeikša, Isaac Johnson, Hunter Erickson, Harry Rouhliadeff, Dre Bullock, Yacine Toumi.) | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Stakes through the Hawai’i heart.

With an opportunity to claim a share of the Big West’s regular season crown, the University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team faltered in their final home game of the year as Gavin Sykes exploded for a second straight 30-point outing to help Long Beach State ruin the fun on Senior Night in the islands, 84-75.

The freshman guard had a game-best 34 points for the visitors, who shot a sizzling 55% from the field as a team while draining 9-of-18 from long distance. Sykes shot 10-for-17 himself overall while draining 5-of-8 from 3-point range, including three straight triples in the final few minutes to put the game out of reach for the Rainbow Warriors.

“I want to give Long Beach credit,” Hawai’i head coach Eran Ganot said after the game. “We didn’t deserve to win. They outplayed us, they outcompeted us.”

With no postseason to play for, LBSU came out with their own championship mentality as they took a 22-19 lead over the Rainbow Warriors more than midway through the opening half. Hawai’i struggled shooting throughout the first half, making just 1-of-10 from long distance to start before Hunter Erickson tied it at 22 with his second triple of the evening.

Erickson and Ike Finlinson each drained another 3-pointer to keep UH afloat as the first half wound down, but Long Beach State connected on eight of their final nine shots of the stanza to take a 44-34 advantage into the locker rooms.

Isaac “Big Fish” Johnson looked to spark the hosts as the second half began as he dove to the floor for an extra possession, leading to a layup for Finlinson and igniting an 11-3 run that cut the deficit to two for Hawai’i with 13 minutes left in regulation.

After a timeout by Long Beach and the under-12-minute media stoppage, the Rainbow Warriors flashed full court pressure and forced back-to-back steals to push ahead for the first time since the 10:25 mark of the first half as Dre Bullock and Harry Rouhliadeff cashed in four straight free throws.

With the crowd back engaged and chomping at the bit to celebrate Senior Night in style, Harry Rouhliadeff and Isaac Johnson provided a pair of ear-popping moments with an and-one finish and putback dunk for Hawai’i before each picked up their fourth personal fouls with over seven minutes left in regulation.

With two of UH’s senior forwards glued to the bench, Long Beach State took quick advantage to pull back in front with an 8-0 run. Johnson returned and sunk a pair of free throws to make it a 66-62 deficit for the Rainbow Warriors with 4:32 to play, but the hosts could not pull any closer as Gavin Sykes went nuclear to put the dagger in the hearts of Hawai’i and their fans with 14 points over the final three and a half minutes to clinch the 84-75 upset.

Senior guard Hunter Erickson finished with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the loss for the Rainbow Warriors, making four 3-pointers in a game for just the second time this season. Isaac Johnson had 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals in 26 minutes of work as he navigated foul woes in the second half.

Ike Finlinson and Dre Bullock also finished in double figures for the hosts, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively. Bullock looked to experience some discomfort late in the game and exited briefly before returning to finish the contest for the Rainbow Warriors.

Following the game, Hawai’i turned attention quickly to celebrate six seniors who helped the program to one of the best year-over-year turnarounds in recent Big West memory in Erickson, Johnson, Bullock, Yacine Toumi, Gytis Nemeikša and captain Harry Rouhliadeff.

“I spoke to the team in the end to let it go right now because your senior night here is as good as it gets,” a weary Eran Ganot said after the game. “I begged [the team], do me a favor [and] let me take this one on. You go enjoy your senior night, nobody does it better.”

Hawaii G Hunter Erickson bends down to get another lei on Senior Night. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Ganot was appreciative of the fans staying to celebrate a senior group that he said was “right up there” with some of the good ones that he’s been able to work with.

Each receiving loud ovations, all six seniors were able to crack smiles as they went through the Senior Night processions in the islands. Rouhliadeff and Johnson were visibly emotional as they were introduced one final time to the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center crowd.

“It was just awesome,” Johnson said when asked about his emotions during the ceremony. “When you’re in a game, you’re so locked in on what’s going on in the game. I like to get hyped with the crowd and everything like that and look out, but it’s all a blur. To be able to take it in and just realize and be able to see how many people were here supporting us and loving us … to see them reciprocate that love … I feel like you’re not a true man if you can’t show a little emotion and I couldn’t hold it back.”

Rouhliadeff, who was the lone senior to spend all four of his college seasons in Mānoa, was equally expressive in his gratitude for what the University of Hawai’i and the state overall has given him.

“I’ve had the most incredible four years of my life here,” Rouhliadeff emphasized. “I would not change a thing, and these are the best fans in the world. There’s no doubt about that. They know how to cheer for us and it’s such a joy, such a privilege to play in front of these fans every single week.”

Hawaii F Harry Rouhliadeff daps up teammates during Senior Night ceremonies. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i (22-8, 14-6 Big West) was locked into the No. 2 seed for the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men’s Basketball Championship tournament regardless of Saturday night’s result due to conference tiebreakers and will receive a double-bye and a spot directly into the Big West semifinal round.

No. 6-seeded UC Davis (18-13, 11-9 Big West) will take on No. 7-seeded UC Santa Barbara (18-13, 11-9 Big West) on Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament. The winner will advance to face third-seeded Cal State Fullerton (17-15, 12-18 Big West) in the quarterfinal round.

No. 2-seeded Hawai’i awaits the winner of the Cal State Fullerton-UCD/UCSB matchup on Friday in the Big West semifinals. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. HT / 8:30 p.m. PT.

“We’ll always keep confidence high in our team,” Rouhliadeff reaffirmed about the Rainbow Warriors heading into the postseason. “We’re going to go in on Friday on a mission because we obviously didn’t want to finish our regular season off like this, so we’re going to come out firing … I have all the faith in the world in our guys.”

Kapolei cruises by Waipahu behind Kapahu’s record-setting night

Kapolei cruises by Waipahu behind Kapahu’s record-setting night

Aug 21, 2026

KAPOLEI – Rocked ‘em like a hurricane. After seeing their season opener cancelled from the effects of Hurricane Lala, the No. 4-ranked Kapolei Hurricanes (1-0) provided a storm of their own with a dominant 50-15 victory over No. 6-ranked Waipahu...

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HONOLULU – Trailblazing programs need trailblazing people. Hawaii Pacific University became the first college in the islands to latch on to the runaway train of girls’ flag football popularity, announcing this past May that the school would be...

Hawai’i rolls in preseason tune-up against Chaminade

Hawai’i rolls in preseason tune-up against Chaminade

Aug 17, 2026

HONOLULU – Welcome back, Rainbow Wahine. The University of Hawai’i women’s volleyball team swept through four sets of exhibition action against Chaminade on Monday, (25-20, 25-16, 25-10, 25-13), seeing all 15 players on the roster get action as...

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Rosenthal rises to occasion to help Hawai’i to split with No. 7 Pepperdine

Rosenthal rises to occasion to help Hawai’i to split with No. 7 Pepperdine

Mar 6, 2026

Rosenthal rises to occasion to help Hawai’i to split with No. 7 Pepperdine

Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

HONOLULU – Calmed waters.

After falling to the Waves in Honolulu for the first time since 2009 on Wednesday night, the third-ranked University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team bounced back in four sets on Friday to take down No. 7 Pepperdine, (25-22, 21-25, 25-15, 36-34).

Four Rainbow Warriors finished with 10 or more kills, led by sophomore opposite Kainoa Wade’s 19 kills, nine dig performance. Sophomore Trevell Jordan set a new career high with 15 kills on 20 swings, tallying five blocks as the 6-foot-10 middle blocker took his game to new heights while playing in front of a season-high crowd of 7,247 fans.

“The crowd definitely played a part in it,” Jordan said of his career outing. “They were really loud, and it was a little [nerve-wracking] at first, but I mean, you got to rally together in that and Tread [Rosenthal] finding me was amazing.”

Travel Jordan (20) celebrates with Louis Sakanoko (23) and Tread Rosenthal (13) after a point against No. 7 Pepperdine. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Rosenthal piloted the offense with a season-high 56 assists and four aces while adding six kills for the second straight match from the setter spot. The junior’s final putdown of the night was the match-winner, taking matters into his own hands to end a marathon fourth frame.

Following Wednesday’s four-set flub, head coach Charlie Wade said that Thursday’s practice saw an uptick in intensity from the players that is uncommon ahead of an encore match in a series.

“Pretty locked in yesterday at practice,” the veteran head coach recalled. “Usually, when there’s the day in between [matches] here, they’re looking to kind of back off a little because they’re sore, and yesterday, they were looking to push it.”

With a motivated group and a boost from a vocal crowd from the opening serve, Hawai’i wrestled away a competitive first set from Pepperdine, 25-22, behind an active block and Trevell Jordan’s early four kills.

“It was just a little different vibe walking in and it helped us get off to that good start,” Wade pitched as a difference for the Rainbow Warriors from Wednesday to Friday.

The Waves washed away UH’s single-set advantage quickly, returning fire in the second frame with the help of Punahou alum Aiden Tune’s time in the service box turning the tide. The redshirt junior placed an ace in the middle of all six Rainbow Warriors late in the set to cap off a four-point run that put the visitors ahead and sophomore opposite Cole Hartke finished the deal a few rallies later with back-to-back kills to knot the match at a set apiece.

Hawai’i pushed back in front with a dominant third frame, leading from start to finish in the 25-15 decision as the group hit .632 while pushing Pepperdine into the negatives with more attacking errors (7) than kills (5) in the set.

Then came the marathon.

The Waves went ahead by four in the opening minutes of the fourth set behind returning All-Americans Cole Hartke and Ryan Barnett taking turns tormenting UH.

Looking to return fire, Hawai’i turned to their own All-American.

Tread Rosenthal set up Kainoa Wade to slow down Pepperdine’s momentum and send himself back to the service box for UH. The junior dealt out a pair of aces during an eight-point run behind the stripe, giving him 104 in his college career to tie him with Spyros Chakas for seventh all-time among Rainbow Warriors while vaulting the hosts in front, 15-10.

“He’ll break the school record, probably this year,” Charlie Wade candidly said of Rosenthal’s prowess for racking up service aces.

Hartke and Barnett got the Waves back on track to pull back within a point, but Hawai’i was able to hold onto the lead into the late moments of the frame behind Wade, Adrien Roure and Louis Sakanoko taking turns on the attack.

Pepperdine held off two Hawai’i match points to tie the do-or-die fourth frame at 24, sparking a race to taking a two-point advantage between a pair of rabid teams.

After 14 total set points between teams and eight aloha ball chances for the hosts, Rosenthal again took matters into his own hands and smashed the match winner over on two to deliver a hard-fought series split to the Rainbow Warriors.

Cole Hartke led the way in the loss for Pepperdine, racking up 20 kills on 55 swings while tallying a match-leading seven attack errors. Ryan Barnett tacked on 13 kills and eight digs while Jose Gomez added 13 kills and five digs of his own for the Waves.

Adrien Roure, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Friday, had 15 kills and seven digs in the victory for the Rainbow Warriors. Fellow French outside hitter Louis Sakanoko was the fourth and final player to finish with double figures kills for Hawai’i as he tallied 12 putdowns on 26 tries while getting hands on four blocks.

Hawai’i (15-2) will return to action next Thursday, March 12, hosting Mount Olive, No. 14 Lewis and No. 1 UCLA in the 30th annual OUTRIGGER Invitational.

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