A pair of historic rivals in Hawai‘i and BYU took the floor on an eerie March night in 2020, thrilling a sold-out Stan Sheriff Center crowd with five sets of elite volleyball. The Rainbow Warriors prevailed that night, sending fans home eager for the next home match.
Days later, the season was called off due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 'Bows went on to win the program's first national championship in 2021, sweeping BYU in the NCAA finals, but played their entire home slate without fans in attendance due to local laws at the time.
For the first time since March 2020, UH is set to host BYU at the Stan Sheriff Center for a pair of matches on Wednesday and Friday. Both contests begin at 7 p.m., and tickets are still available.
Asked about what he remembers from the last time the Cougars were in town, Hawai‘i head coach Charlie Wade recalls the whirlwind that followed. He was also appreciative of the fan atmosphere and hopes to replicate that this week.
"We didn't know it was going to be it for a while. They handed it to us pretty good on the first night, and then we got them back in five the second night," Wade said. "It's always a big rivalry when we play BYU, whether it's at our place or their place. That was an odd time (in 2020), and they shut down the whole season. We kept thinking, maybe we play later that year, but just thrilled to have a quality opponent back in here, and hopefully we can show them another sold-out crowd."
The first time the 'Bows and Cougars met since the 2021 national title match was a series in Provo in 2025. UH took both matches, led by the efforts of Kristian Titriyski. As Titriyski continues to bounce back from an injury, Kainoa Wade, Charlie's son, has emerged as the team's leading attacker.
Kainoa Wade, who estimates he was a 5-foot-10 middle schooler when BYU was in town in 2020, is now a towering 6-foot-10 sophomore opposite who has a team-high 123 kills for the Rainbow Warriors in 2026.
"Obviously I'm excited," he said. "I think the last time BYU played here is right before COVID, with (former college men's volleyball stars) Gabi (Garcia Fernandez) and Rado (Parapunov) and those guys. I was a little chubby kid in the stands, so now being able to play in those matches, I'm stoked."
BYU was initially not on Hawai‘i's schedule in 2026, but the cancellation of an NIL tournament set to feature the 'Bows caused UH to pivot. Despite not playing in the NIL tournament this year, a portion of the ticket sales this week will go toward the program's NIL fund. Another initial feature of Hawai‘i's 2026 schedule was zero home matches in February, which changes with BYU in town on Wednesday and Friday.
"Obviously we're bummed to not be able to play against the USCs, the UCLAs, the Long Beaches, but BYU is up to par with those teams," Kainoa Wade said. "We're excited, especially getting to play in the the Stan Sheriff again."
The latest AVCA national collegiate men's volleyball poll has the Rainbow Warriors (12-1) ranked third in the country, while BYU (13-2) is ranked No. 6. Both teams will enter Wednesday's match winners of nine straight. Instead of scheduling another bye week, the 'Bows decided it would be best to challenge themselves and are now set to play for nine consecutive weeks, starting on Wednesday.
"Definitely an exciting time of the year and this week kicks it off," Charlie Wade said. "BYU is playing at a really high level. They've won nine straight matches without dropping a set, and it'll be a big challenge. Every week going forward, it's going to be more of the same."
A lot has changed for Wade and his program since 2020. Back then, Hawai‘i didn't have a national title to its name but went on to win in 2021 and 2022. In evaluating his 2026 squad, Wade sees a team that's hungry to get back to the top of the sport.
"That team was destined to win. I think we would have won in '20 and obviously won again in '21 and '22. I think this team's on the same kind of trajectory," he said. "They got to go out and prove it as all teams do. But I think they're recognizing that we literally are not just one of the best teams, but could be the best team."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
