IRVINE, Calif. » As it turned out, the motivational carrot was Orange.

For the University of Hawaii volleyball team, all those weight-training sessions, sprints under an unforgiving sun, and work-to-exhaustion practices have led to Orange County. The Warriors play Pepperdine in Thursday’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinal match in UC Irvine’s Bren Center. Irvine and USC meet in the other semifinal.

"This is what it’s all for," UH opposite attacker Brook Sedore said. "This is why you play volleyball. Nobody plays to play on a team like San Diego, where you don’t win a single game. … The focus of a national championship is motivating. You keep this feeling in the back of your mind, and it makes training a lot better."

If UH and Irvine win on Thursday, both likely will be invited to next week’s NCAA tournament at Stanford.

"Everyone is in a good place because we know we’ve put the work in," UH coach Charlie Wade said. "We know we’re a good team. We know we’re going to be playing a good team. It’s coming down to the end. We’re excited. It’s an opportunity. It’s what you play for in your career. To get a chance to be playing in the league semifinal with the chance to advance is well deserved."

The Warriors won both regular-season matches against Pepperdine in Honolulu. They also played in the Bren Center twice this season, splitting a two-match series against top-ranked Irvine.

Bren Center, with a seating capacity of 4,984 for court sports, is a preferred arena for volleyball players, ranking high along with UH’s Stan Sheriff Center and UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. Bren has high ceilings and roominess behind the end lines. "Ask a jump shooter," Wade said, a reference to why basketball players and volleyball servers prefer backdrops that offer good sight lines.

"It’s all about depth perception," said Sedore, one of the Warriors’ best servers.

Here’s a look at the matchups:

Hawaii

The Warriors’ youngest starter — 19-year-old setter Jennings Franciskovic — has matured in his two years at UH.

"That’s something I’ve been working on since high school," he said. "I used to get really upset at times. I’ve been working on staying neutral and being that calm person on the court."

This season, the Warriors focused on an inside-out offense — feed the middle, forcing opponents to bunch the block and opening the pins and back-row attacks. Taylor Averill is considered the nation’s most complete middle, relying on misdirection plays to swing in one direction while the blocker is going in the other. Franciskovic, who has a 41-inch vertical jump off an approach, and Averill are partnered as blockers in two rotations.

Meanwhile, the other middle, Davis Holt, has expanded his repertoire. At 6 feet 9, Holt mainly was fed high sets. In recent weeks, Holt has feasted on three-ball sets — short and quick placements.

Holt also has been effective with his dancing float serve. Wade often has struggled with using a substitute for defense or allowing Holt to serve. "His serve has become so reliable," Wade said.

Holt said: "All other servers bring heat. It’s like, heat, heat, heat, heat, heat, and mine is like a little fluff ball. It throws them off."

With his height and reach, Holt’s serve is delivered at "a weird angle. It shakes around and floats and then drops off the table."

Franciskovic, meanwhile, has been instructed to go from placement serves to jump-spinners. To increase his velocity, Franciskovic worked on his contact point.

"I tend to over-rotate sometimes and (strike the volleyball) at a weird spot," Franciskovic said. "It’s something I’ve been working with the coaching staff over the past couple months. It’s been pretty nice to score some points (on serves), but, really, it’s all about my contact point."

Pepperdine

The Waves run one of the league’s quickest pin attacks — in part to setter Matt West’s accurate placement; in part to left-side hitter Joshua Taylor and opposite Parker Kalmbach.

Taylor has a wicked angle shot that is difficult to block and cover. He also blends tips and roll shots. Taylor is hitting .355, remarkable effectiveness for a player who often faces double and triple blocks.

Kalmbach is at his best when he strikes line shots. Kalmbach leads the MPSF in kills (4.10 per set) and scoring (4.60 points per set).

The Waves have found their groove, going with the same seven starters the past five matches. Max States and Joshua Stewart are used as serving subs for Taylor and middle Mitchell Penning, respectively. Taylor and Penning are actually tough servers, with the Waves scoring natural points on 39 percent of the plays they initiate the past five matches. Penning served three consecutive aces against California Baptist.