Hawaii volleyball surges to No. 2 after dominating Long Beach State
The University of Hawaii men's volleyball team has climbed to second place in the AVCA Top 20 rankings, overtaking Long Beach State. This week, they will host UC Santa Barbara in a two-match series on Friday and Saturday. Several players earned conference honours after a strong performance against Long Beach State last weekend.
Hawaii dominated their recent series against Long Beach State, hitting at a .349 clip as a team. Outside hitter Louis Sakanoko led the attack with a .571 hitting percentage, averaging 3.83 kills per set while making just four errors. He also contributed four blocks and two aces in the two matches. Despite his strong showing, Sakanoko had to leave Friday's game in the third set due to cramping.
Setter Tread Rosenthal continued his impressive season, securing his eighth Big West Setter of the Week award—his fourth in a row. He now holds 13 career honours in the category. Rosenthal played most of Friday's match with a cramp, effectively competing on one leg. During the series, he also surpassed 3,000 career kills in his Hawaii tenure. Defensively, Quintin Greenidge earned his third Big West Defensive Player of the Week title. His contributions helped Hawaii limit Long Beach State's scoring opportunities.
The Rainbow Warriors now sit at second in the national rankings, just behind the top team. They will look to maintain their momentum in this weekend's home matches against UC Santa Barbara. Rosenthal's milestone and the team's recent awards highlight their strong form heading into the final stretch of the season.
