Uc-irvine To Face Hawaii In Ncaa Men's Volleyball Championship

Hawaii brought a sensation of nan rainbow connected Saturday to nan Pauley Pavilion.

The Hawaii men’s volleyball squad defeated Long Beach State successful 5 sets to scope nan NCAA men’s volleyball nationalist title for nan first clip since winning it each successful 2022.

The squad will look UC Irvine, which continued its basking streak pinch a triumph complete No. 4 seeded Ball State Saturday. The unseeded Anteaters upset No. 1 UCLA earlier successful tournament, denying nan Bruins a chance to play for a title connected their location floor.

Long Beach played a semifinal adjacent to home, but nan Rainbow Warriors were wished not to stumble aft falling to UCLA successful a nationalist semifinal past season.

“We each learned a batch from nan nonaccomplishment past season,” Hawaii sophomore Justin Todd said. “We learned that we person to enactment healthy, going to nan extremity of nan twelvemonth and getting amended astatine believe overall.”

After nan win, Hawaii seasoned caput coach Charlie Wade said nan Rainbow Warriors, UC Irvine and Long Beach person each represented nan Big West Conference well.

“Since nan inception of nan Big West Conference, it’s been nan strongest convention for volleyball,” Wade said. “This is nan 3rd clip 2 Big West teams will beryllium playing each different successful nan championship.”

Hawaii rallied to return an early 11-7 lead successful nan first group against Long Beach Saturday night. The Rainbow Warriors continued to heap connected points successful nan first set, leading14-9 lead earlier nan Beach called its first timeout.

The Rainbow Warriors kept up pressure, winning nan first group 25-15. Long Beach held disconnected a Hawaii rally to triumph nan 2nd group 25-18. The teams traded leads successful nan 3rd group earlier Hawaii pulled distant for a 25-21 win.

After trailing astir each of nan 4th set, Hawaii earned back-to-back kills that gave it a 21-20 lead. The Rainbow Warriors held connected for a 25-22 triumph to punch their summons to nan nationalist title match.

In nan different semifinal played Saturday, UC Irvine defeated Ball State 3-1 (25-19, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19). The Anteaters sewage a large boost from mediate artifact Trevor Clark, who tied his profession precocious pinch 14 kills and led nan squad pinch six blocks (one solo). Redshirt freshman setter Cameron Kosty had 53 group assists and 9 digs.

UC Irvine (21-8) and Hawaii (29-5) play Monday astatine 4 p.m. astatine Pauley Pavillion for nan NCAA championship. The lucifer will aerial connected ESPN2.