UH returns with road trip sweep

Mission accomplished.

No. 4 Hawaii completed its first regular-season trip to the Midwest with a second consecutive sweep, doing it mostly with reserves. Led by freshman opposite Rado Parapunov’s 16 kills and a career-high 15 from sophomore hitter Brett Rosenmeier, the Rainbow Warriors defeated Lindenwood 25-21, 25-18, 26-24 Wednesday night in St. Charles, Mo.

Hawaii, getting 10 digs from junior libero Tui Tuileta, improved to 14-2, its best start since opening 14-1 in 1996. The Lions (0-11), a fifth-year program in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, got eight kills from senior hitter Jake Duckworth in the 90-minute contest, just the Lions’s second home match in Hyland Arena.

“It’s nice to come home from a long road trip 4-0,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. “We got a lot of guys in, we got the win, all the boxes got checked.

“It wasn’t real clean but it was good enough to win 3-0. We’re looking forward to coming home and getting back in the practice gym.”

Hawaii next hosts No. 9 Pepperdine in a pair of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matches at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, and 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.

Wade said he wasn’t bothered by a lack of middle attack. The Warriors got a combined two kills from their three middles but Lindenwood “was in a full commit on our middles so we pushed (the sets) outside.”

Hawaii also was out-blocked 9-7.5 and out-aced 6-1, its lone ace by Parapunov making it 23-22 in Set 3.

As promised, Wade started several reserves in their fourth match in six days, including sophomore setter Joe Worsley and Parapunov. The Warriors appeared to break open a tight Set 1 that was tied at 18 with a 5-0 run, capped by Rosenmeier’s sixth kill.

The Lions rallied, closing to 23-21, forcing Wade to call a timeout. Hawaii responded with a kill by Rosenmeier and a Lindenwood error to win their 12th consecutive set.

Parapunov, who had just three kills in Set 1, added six in Set 2 as the Warriors pulled away for good at 16-15. Rosenmeier cooled off, with just three kills in Set 3, but Parapunov heated up at the end with seven.

Senior setter Jennings Franciskovic made his only appearance late in Set 3 more as a blocking sub. It paid off with Franciskovic teaming with sophomore middle Dalton Solbrig to stuff Duckworth and give Hawaii match point at 24-22.

Lindenwood held off two Warrior attempts to tie at 24 but Hawaii got kills from freshman hitter Austin Matautia and Rosenmeier to complete its fourth sweep in a row.