Vladimir Kubr shines in his senior moment

MĀNOA — Before Vladimir Kubr dished out a handful of assists as the University of Hawai‘i's starting setter on Saturday night, he was on the receiving end of the ultimate assist before the match even began.

Kubr, the lone senior for the Rainbow Warriors, started his first career match for the 'Bows on Saturday against CSUN, earning a loud ovation from the Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 8,223 clad in white. The plan to start Kubr on senior night was devised by head coach Charlie Wade weeks ago. But first, he had to let regular starting setter Tread Rosenthal know.

"It's a good cause for a good guy, and he was absolutely all on board," Wade said of Rosenthal's reaction.

With Kubr at the service line to begin the match, the 'Bows pounced on the Matadors early, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. The Rainbow Warriors led 10-3 when Rosenthal resumed his role as the team's regular setter, sharing an embrace with Kubr as he subbed out.

Kubr's start set the tone for a 25-15, 21-25, 25-14, 25-16 victory for the No. 2 Rainbow Warriors, who closed out the regular season 26-4 overall and 9-1 in Big West play, winning the conference regular season title outright. Wade put Kubr back in during the closing points of the fourth set. Kubr, who finished with five assists, drew relentless cheers from fans with seemingly each step he took on the taraflex.

"Everything. It means everything," Kubr said of the reception he received before, during and after the match on Saturday night. "This might be the best thing that will ever happen to me in my whole life.

"It felt good. But also, it's not just about me, it's about my team. It's about the program. It's about the fans and just the support."

And that favor Kubr received from Rosenthal in starting the match? Kubr did his best to return it, setting Rosenthal for a kill near the end of the fourth set. The 6-foot-11 Rosenthal skied for a spike that sent the Stan Sheriff Center crowd into a frenzy, but the point was overturned following a CSUN challenge. Kubr says it's the first time ever he was able to set ball for Rosenthal.

"It might seem cliché, but that's what I expect from him," Kubr said of Rosenthal sacrificing his spot in the starting lineup on senior night. "He's a very selfless man. He's my brother, so we support each other."

Was Kubr hoping a Rosenthal set would come his way?

"Not at all," Kubr said. "No, I'm actually happy to be honest. We have Louis (Sakanoko) and Adrien (Roure). He should be not setting me."

As Mark Kubr, Vladimir's father, took turns gazing lovingly at his son and the tribute video playing for him on the arena's video board, the tears flowed.

"It was surreal, because I've come to the Islands since I was very young. Since the ’70s, I've worked here, and the Hawaiian people have always taken me in and just been so gracious and kind," Mark Kubr told Aloha State Daily following the match. "For him to play for such an established organization in such a hallowed land, it means the world to me."

During his childhood in Southern California, Vladimir would tag along with Mark, an actor, on set. Vladimir Kubr, an actor, stuntman and model, got an early start in Hollywood, appearing in "Iron Man" and "Alice in Wonderland" as a 3-year-old in 2008. His IMBD page verifies that he's had credits in nearly a dozen movies and shows, most recently "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" in 2025.

Mark and Vladimir Kubr both like telling a story about how as a toddler, Vladimir was falling in and out of sleep during a shoot of a particularly important Iron Man scene.

"My first gig was Iron Man," Vladimir Kubr recalled. "The scene in particular was as Obadiah dies, him and Iron Man are fighting on the highway. Obadiah picks up this SUV, and it was a family of five, and there's a little kid in car seat in the middle. That's me. It was 2 a.m. and shooting this, and they had to lift up the physical car, maybe 15, 20 feet in the air.

"They had to keep waking me up. Because I was a little kid, it was like, bedtime. Jon Favreau, the director, was like, 'Is the kid asleep right now?' And then everyone is kind of freaking out because it's time to shoot, it's time to go. And they're like, 'Wake up the kid.' And as they're trying to wake me up, my dad is slowly walking away to try to just disconnect himself to the situation."

Added Mark Kubr: "I'm like, 'Oh s---,' right? He's asleep. He's asleep in the car. He's supposed to be a stuntman. So, anyway, to make a long story short, he ended up waking up and screaming, and he was perfect."

Vladimir Kubr says he began playing volleyball because there was a year he didn't make the basketball team. While watching highlights of former UH star setter and 2023 AVCA Player of the Year Jakob Thelle, he set a goal to join the Rainbow Warriors and did so in 2024 after transferring from Pepperdine.

With the sole exception of Saturday night, Vladimir Kubr spent his UH career as a backup to Rosenthal, an AVCA All-American. Still, he has no regrets about staying in the Islands and seeing hs career through with teammates he considers brothers.

"My father has always told me if you can count the friend number of friends you have on your on one hand, you're good," he said. "Your life is good. I don't have enough fingers for 19 (teammates) at all. I love my team very much."

After the season ends, Vladimir Kubr plans to wrap up his political science degree before moving back home to Southern California, where he'll pursue beach volleyball and more acting, modeling and stuntman opportunities.

As he watched his son get filled to the brim with lei, Mark Kubr beamed with pride in the man his son has become.

"I don't care what his endeavors are. I just want him to be a gracious, kind person. I'll be proud no matter what he does," Mark Kubr said. "As long as he's kind to other people, it doesn't matter to me."

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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.