USC takes Hawaii in 5 to split series

This one is going to hurt all the way back to Honolulu.

No. 5 Hawaii, one point away from its first series sweep of USC in Los Angeles since 2006, instead saw a fourth straight five-set win over the Trojans vanish under the suddenly harsh lights of the Galen Center.

The Rainbow Warriors finished their four-matches-in-five-days Mountain Pacific Sports Federation volleyball road trip on a disappointing note Tuesday night, falling to unranked USC 25-18, 20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 17-15 after 2 hours and 30 minutes. It was the third five-setter in their last four matches for the Trojans (3-11, 3-9), who got 21 kills and 11 digs from junior hitter Lucas Yoder to snap a three-match skid.

“We certainly had our chances,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. “We made too many mistakes in Set 1. We win that and we win in three.

“We couldn’t close it in the fourth, couldn’t close it in the fifth. You saw the effects of four matches in five days. It took a toll.”

Hawaii (10-5, 5-5) wasted a career night from junior hitter Kupono Fey (23 kills) much as it wasted a 14-11 lead in Set 5. After starting 9-1, the Warriors now have lost four of their last five, the lone victory coming Monday against the Trojans.

Senior hitter Siki Zarkovic overcame another slow start to finish with 15 kills; he has had double-figure kills in every match this season. Freshman opposite Stijn van Tilburg added 11 kills.

Junior middle Hendrik Mol was in on nine of Hawaii’s season-high 16 blocks — his career high — and the Warriors finished with a 16-8.5 edge. Senior libero Kolby Kanetake had a match-high 14 digs.

Hawaii is off until hosting No. 1 Long Beach State on Feb. 24 and 26.

After not giving up an ace in Monday’s five-set win, the Warriors gave up two early in Set 1 on consecutive serves by Andy Benesh. The Trojans used Benesh’s serving run to take the lead for good at 7-3 and they never trailed, finishing with four blocks to help hold Hawaii to .000 hitting.

The Warriors overcame five service errors to grind out a win in Set 2, breaking a 13-13 tie on a block of Yoder and a kill by Fey.

Hawaii got down early in Set 3, this time 4-0 and 7-1. The Warriors responded with their own 7-1 run to tie and the battle was on.

It would be tied six more times, the last at 20, before Hawaii gained separations on two USC hitting errors. A kill by Zarkovic sparked a 3-0 closing run to put the Warriors up 2-1.

The Trojans would not go away. USC, down by three points four times in Set 4, rallied to take the lead at 21-20.

Fey had four kills in a row to tie it four times, his career-tying 19th forcing extra play on the 12th deadlock at 24-24.

Yoder answered with two kills to send it to a fifth.

Hawaii spotted SC a 6-3 lead and was down 8-6 at the changeover. Zarkovic had three kills as the Warriors went on a 6-1 run for a 12-9 lead.

Kills by Zarkovic and Fey gave Hawaii match point at 14-11. SC held off three Warriors attempts to end it, tying it when van Tilburg’s line shot landed just long.

Fey’s final kill also was Hawaii’s final shot. Down 15-14, the Trojans got kills by Alex Slaught and Yoder for their first swing at the win; it was the only one they needed with Warriors junior Iain McKellar being called for a net violation to end it.

USC def. No. 5 Hawaii

25-18, 20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 17-15

Key — s: games; k: kills; e: hitting errors; att: attempts; pct: hitting percentage; d: digs; bs: block solo; ba: block assists; pts: points (kills plus blocks plus aces).
Service Aces — Hawaii 5 (Franciskovic 2, Mol 2, van Tilburg). USC 4 (Benesh 2, Kirchner, Slaught). Service errors — Hawaii 13 (Fey 3, Franciskovic 2, Mol 2, van Tilburg 2, Zarkovic 2, McKellar, Worsley). USC 10 (Benesh 4, Leonard 2, Slaught 2, J. Yoder, L. Yoder). Assists — Hawaii 58 (Franciskovic 47, Kanetake 5, Fey 2, McKellar, Mol, van Tilburg, Zarkovic). USC 61 (J. Yoder 56, Douglas 3, Benesh, L. Yoder). T — 2:30. Officials — Joe Aguilar Louis Ventura. A — 450.

MPSF Volleyball

Tuesday
USC def. Hawaii 25-18, 20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 17-15

Today
UC Irvine at Cal State Northridge
UC San Diego at Long Beach State
UC Santa Barbara at Pepperdine

Friday
UC San Diego at Cal State Northridge
UC Irvine at Long Beach State
BYU at Cal Baptist
UCLA at Pepperdine
UC Santa Barbara at Stanford

Saturday
Holy Names at UC San Diego BYU at Cal Baptist

Sunday
UCLA at Stanford

Wednesday
Long Beach State at Hawaii, 7 p.m., Stan Sheriff Center
USC at UC Santa Barbara
Cal Baptist at UCLA