Happiness was a University of Hawaii volleyball team that battled to exhaustion to defeat decades-long foe Pepperdine in five sets on Sunday night.

Happiness was the deafening sound of about 3,000 fans in the Stan Sheriff Center still roaring long after Siki Zarkovic ricocheted aloha ball to complete a 24-26, 25-22, 30-28, 27-29, 15-13 victory, the Warriors’ eighth in row.

Happiness was outside hitter Scott Hartley’s defense, libero Kolby Kanetake’s 16 digs, Taylor Averill’s IOU payment, and Zarkovic’s shake-it-off persistence.

By completing a two-match sweep of the Waves, the Warriors moved into a first-place tie with UC Irvine at 12-2 atop the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The Warriors’ final eight MPSF matches are against four teams with a combined 21-33 league record.

"We still have stuff to get better at," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "At this point, with two losses, I’m not sure what it’s going to take to win the whole thing. But we’re going to keep trying to get better."

For one night, the Warriors found the answers. Through most of the first four sets, Pepperdine opposite Parker Kalmbach gave fits to the Warriors’ defense. The Waves were able to quick-set Kalmbach in the back right. The rat-a-tat pace made it difficult to shift a middle for a double block.

At the start of the fifth set, Wade turned the rotation, matching Hartley against Kalmbach. Against a D set, a blocker usually has a soccer goalkeeper’s mind-set: Play one side or the other. Hartley, as the lone defender, instead had to defend against both the angle and line shots.

"You have to go wide on him," Hartley said. Because Hartley can touch 11 feet 6, Wade figured Kalmbach could not hit over the top without Hartley touching the spike.

"I tried to take care of him and force him to our diggers," Hartley said.

Kalmbach had 20 kills in 42 swings through the first four sets; he had zero kills in three swings in the fifth.

In Friday’s match between the teams, Averill struggled statistically and emotionally. After the match, he apologized to teammates.

"I’m glad he came out and held up his promise," setter Jennings Franciskovic said.

Averill slammed a career-high 19 kills, against one error, in 24 swings and hit .750.

"We focused on better passing so (Franciskovic) could get (Averill) the ball," Kanetake said. "And he was unstoppable. They were double-committing, and he was hitting over them, around them, through them."

Averill said: "Jennings put me in a real nice situation. We kept it real simple, nothing crazy. When he does that, it makes my job ridiculously easy."

Zarkovic led the Warriors with 20 kills. He also had seven digs, and passed 39 serves without an error. Most of all, Zarkovic did not become rattled after what appeared to be an ace was ruled a service error, and an apparent touch was called an attack mistake.

"I’m so sure, I would bet my life on the touch," Zarkovic said of the no-call that cut the Warriors’ deficit to 12-10 in the fifth set.

In the past, Zarkovic conceded, "I would get so angry. That was counter-productive. I worked on it every day in practice, getting the negative energy out of me."

The Waves tied it at 12, then were down 14-13. After a UH timeout, Kanetake passed to Franciskovic, who had one thought in mind

"Siki’s been there before," said Franciskovic, who fed Zarkovic at the right pin. "I can count on him to put it down. Siki’s volleyball IQ is at a high level. He’s used to playing at a high level."

Zarkovic tooled the block, triggering a loud celebration.

"Charlie always tells me to focus on the next play, the things I can control," Zarkovic said. "I tried to do that."

The Warriors are in first place for the first time in Wade’s six seasons as UH head coach.

"It’s a great feeling," Zarkovic said. "We cannot get relaxed We have eight more (MPSF matches) to go. We have to win all those games."

can touch 11 feet 6, Wade figured Kalmbach could not hit over the top without Hartley touching the spike.

"I tried to take care of him and force him to our diggers," Hartley said.

Kalmbach had 20 kills in 42 swings through the first four sets; he had zero kills in three swings in the fifth.

In Friday’s match between the teams, Averill struggled statistically and emotionally. After the match, he apologized to teammates.

"I’m glad he came out and held up his promise," setter Jennings Franciskovic said.

Averill slammed a career-high 19 kills, against one error, in 24 swings and hit .750.

"We focused on better passing so (Franciskovic) could get (Averill) the ball," Kanetake said. "And he was unstoppable. They were double-committing, and he was hitting over them, around them, through them."

Averill said: "Jennings put me in a real nice situation. We kept it real simple, nothing crazy. When he does that, it makes my job ridiculously easy."

Zarkovic led the Warriors with 20 kills. He also had seven digs, and passed 39 serves without an error. Most of all, Zarkovic did not become rattled after what appeared to be an ace was ruled a service error, and an apparent touch was called an attack mistake.

"I’m so sure, I would bet my life on the touch," Zarkovic said of the no-call that cut the Warriors’ deficit to 12-10 in the fifth set.

In the past, Zarkovic conceded, "I would get so angry. That was counter-productive. I worked on it every day in practice, getting the negative energy out of me."

The Waves tied it at 12, then were down 14-13. After a UH timeout, Kanetake passed to Franciskovic, who had one thought in mind

"Siki’s been there before," said Franciskovic, who fed Zarkovic at the right pin. "I can count on him to put it down. Siki’s volleyball IQ is at a high level. He’s used to playing at a high level."

Zarkovic tooled the block, triggering a loud celebration.

"Charlie always tells me to focus on the next play, the things I can control," Zarkovic said. "I tried to do that."

The Warriors are in first place for the first time in Wade’s six seasons as UH head coach.

"It’s a great feeling," Zarkovic said. "We cannot get relaxed. We have eight more (MPSF matches) to go. We have to win all those games."

MPSF VOLLEYBALL

Tuesday
Penn State at USC

Thursday
Lindenwood at USC

Friday
Hope International at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
UCLA at UC Santa Barbara
UC San Diego at Stanford
Long Beach Invitational
CSUN vs. Penn State
Harvard at Long Beach State

Saturday
Hope International at Hawaii, 7 p.m.
UC Irvine at Pepperdine
Lindenwood at Cal Baptist
Long Beach Invitational
CSUN vs. Harvars
Penn State at Long Beach State