University of Hawai‘i men's volleyball coach Charlie Wade noticed something odd about his team the last time the Rainbow Warriors took the floor, a four-set win over Lewis to close out the OUTRIGGER Invitational on Sunday.
A turnstile crowd of 3,336 was on hand to watch the Rainbow Warriors finish out the weekend. The match between the 'Bows and the Flyers, originally set for Friday, was rescheduled due to heavy rain and wind across the Hawaiian Islands. UH was swept on Saturday night by No. 1 UCLA and labored through its first set on Sunday, which Lewis took 25-21.
"We looked labored and didn't look joyful," Wade said of the way his team opened up Sunday's match. "I think that these guys, representing the state and playing in front of these crowds means a lot. We have built something that is really unique, globally, in volleyball. I think these guys, sometimes that pressure can catch up, and it's like we just weren't playing our style, our way, like we were trying to please the fans, they're coming off the loss the night before.
"I just wanted to remind them this is the best time of your life, and you're here playing the sport that you love with your best friends and in an unbelievable environment. And let's find the joy. It should be joyful, and get out there and just free it up and get after it. There's nothing coming at us tactically that we don't understand. And it's just like, let's get after it and go back and let's have some smiles. I thought they responded really well."
The night before, the Rainbow Warriors were outclassed by UCLA, losing in straight sets. Despite the turbulent weather, a turnstile crowd of 8,927 showed up for the 'Bows. Hawai‘i went 2-1 at the OUTRIGGER Invitational, exiting the weekend 17-3. If Hawai‘i wants to win its first national championship since 2022, it will have to find a way to defeat the Bruins in all likelihood.
"I think just understanding, like as a team, what to do in big moments and then later sets," junior setter and floor captain Tread Rosenthal said of the weekend's takeaways. "The first two sets (against UCLA), we go up early and just can't really maintain that performance level. And then the third set, we were right there with them, and just made a few dumb plays late to let him take control. So, I think just consistency in our play and understanding the moment."
After hosting the country's premier multi-team event, the Rainbow Warriors shift their attention to Big West Conference play. All six teams in the conference are ranked in the top 20 nationally, promising to be a five-week gauntlet for all involved.
Hawai‘i will begin its conference slate with archnemesis Long Beach State, the 2025 national champions. The Rainbow Warriors, who travel to Long beach every other year as part of the Big West rotation, have not beaten The Beach at the Walter Pyramid since 2015. The 'Bows will have two chances this week to try to do so on Friday and Saturday in a pair of matches that begin at 4 p.m. HST.
"I'm excited," Rosenthal said. "Definitely some leftover juice from last year, and they're gonna want to beat us in their home. So it's just kind of play our game once we go there, don't get too focused on what they're doing and stress ourselves."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
