Popular Rainbow Warriors fight parking issue

WarriorMania isn’t at the attendance level enjoyed by the Hawaii men’s volleyball teams of 1995 through 1997 — including five sellouts in 1996 — but this season’s second-ranked team is drawing national-best numbers along with its national attention on the program’s best start (15-0) and NCAA record consecutive sets-won (45).

The Rainbow Warriors continue to lead the country in attendance based on tickets-issued (3,856 average) with the actual turnstile average closer to 3,000. The Stan Sheriff Center hosted its largest crowd of the year for Saturday’s championship of the 25th Outrigger Hotels &Resorts Invitational between Hawaii and Pepperdine, the announced tickets issued 6,074 and turnstile 4,497.

These are enviable numbers for any other program. The problem? It would have been even larger had there not been a parking problem.

With three events happening simultaneously at the athletic complex: volleyball at the arena, baseball vs. Oregon at Les Murakami Stadium and a tournament at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium, the parking structure and its 2,764 stalls filled up rather quickly.

According to texts and emails received by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and other media outlets, fans sat in traffic for up to an hour before finding parking. Some said they gave up and went home or to dinner to watch on television. Others parked blocks away and walked, arriving almost an hour late.

Those fans who did make it to the three events is on par with the same amount who attend a campus graduation. However, unlike graduation, nothing was in place to deal with the extra traffic: no shuttle service from upper campus, no signage alerting motorists to alternative parking or that the parking structure was full, no extra HPD or other attendants directing traffic.

“It was a combination of things,” said Dan Meisenzahl, UH system director of UH communications and UH spokesman. “Rarely are there three events on campus at the same time and there’s also an anomaly with our (photo-voltaic solar) project taking up (some 200) stalls with equipment.

“We don’t want people not to come to games and we send out our sincerest apologies. But at some point, there’s just no parking. That happens every school day at UH.”

Meisenzahl said the traffic and athletic departments met several times this week to discuss solutions, recognizing that the same situation will occur this weekend with Hawaii hosting No. 12 Cal State Northridge in volleyball (7 p.m.), baseball against Cal State Bakersfield (6:35 p.m.), softball with No. 4 Alabama and water polo with No. 1 USC (6 p.m.).

There are an additional 2,384 stalls on upper campus, however Meisenzahl said that there will be no shuttle service. There will be signage alerting motorists when the lower-campus structure is full.

“That was a big take-away from last weekend,” he said about the lack of signage. “We definitely could have done a better job.”

Meanwhile, the Warriors continue to focus on what they can control: their play on the court. They have an unofficial check list this season that includes beating the teams they lost to last year.

So far, Hawaii has avenged the losses UC Irvine and Pepperdine. Next up is No. 12 Cal State Northridge (10-8, 0-2 Big West), which swept the Warriors twice a year ago at the Matadome.

Of particular concern is Matador senior Dimitar Kalchev, who became the program’s all-time leader in aces last Friday. Six of his career 125 came the last time he saw Hawaii on March 16.

“Northridge is always a very good defensive team, have a lot of talented athletes and they have a lot of service pressure,” Warrior junior outside Colton Cowell said. “We went 0-and-2 against them last year and are hoping to reverse that outcome this year. We’re very excited to step on the court and compete against a top team.”

Hawaii has just two regular-season home matches remaining after this weekend, hosting UC Santa Barbara April 5 and 6. The Warriors also will host the Big West tournament April 18-20.

Warrior coach Charlie Wade’s advice to fans: Come early.

“There’s only four (home) games left,” he said. “This team is entertaining. Come watch warm-ups. You get another hour of volleyball.”