6,969.
They’ve heard the stories for four years. The sellouts in the Stan Sheriff Center where men’s volleyball matches felt more like rock concerts and Rainbow Warriors players were treated like rock stars.
Tonight, this Hawaii senior class will be treated like the ones from 1995 through 1997. Tonight will be the first in 22 years that there will be 10,000-plus joining in the senior night celebration.
“We’ve always wanted it and it’s so special,” senior hitter Brett Rosenmeier said after No. 1 Hawaii kept its undefeated season alive with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-16 sweep of No. 3 UC Santa Barbara. “It’s a special weekend for all of us.”
It began on Friday in front of a season-high crowd of 6,969, which witnessed the Warriors (24-0, 7-0 Big West) extend their NCAA record of consecutive sets won to 72 by defeating the Gauchos (17-6, 4-3). They saw Hawaii, the top blocking team in the country, get outblocked 11.5-4, and the Warriors, who also lead the country in hitting percentage, held to a season-low .282 after 103 minutes.
“We got outblocked big time and a lot of that is on me,” said senior setter Joe Worsley, who finished one dig shy of his first double-double of the season (39 assists, 9 digs). “I’ll go back and look at film, figure out what to do tomorrow. We need to play better.”
The Gauchos pushed the Warriors more than they had been pushed perhaps all season in a tight Set 2 that saw 11 ties and six lead changes. Hawaii coach Charlie Wade called a rare timeout at 18-18 and UCSB didn’t fold, taking the lead at 19-18 and 20-19.
FIRST SELLOUT SINCE ’07
Tonight’s Big West Conference men’s volleyball match between No. 1 Hawaii and No. 3 UC Santa Barbara at the Stan Sheriff Center is sold out, according to the UH athletic department. It will be the first sellout for the Rainbow Warriorssince April 12, 2007. That contest was senior night against USC. Tonight’s 7 o’clock game is senior night for setter Joe Worsley, middle Dalton Solbrig and hitters Stijn van Tilburg and Brett Rosenmeier. Hawaii has sold out the 10,300-seat arena eight times previously. The Warriors are 5-3 in those matches.
Rado Parapunov accounted for four of the Warriors’ next five kills, including the set-ender that came with a bit of controversy. Hawaii was already heading into the locker room when UCSB coach Rick McLaughlin challenged the last play, saying the Gauchos attack should have been ruled a kill and not a dig by Rosenmeier that allowed Worsley to set the ball to Parapunov.
The video replay showed Rosenmeier’s pancake dig was successful and the Warriors returned to the locker room up 2-0.
“That ball was so up, it was in the middle of my hand,” Rosenmeier said of his first dig of the night.
While Hawaii’s block wasn’t there, the Warriors used serving and digs to frustrate UCSB. Hawaii finished with nine aces, four by Parapunov, and outdug UCSB 30-21, with the Worsley brothers — Joe and sophomore libero Gage — combining for 18.
“Hats off to Santa Barbara, we came in No. 1 and they outblocked us by a bunch,” Wade said. “But we’ve got a number of ways to win. We were good from the service line and that dig number is 10 a set.
“We know we didn’t play our best tonight. Joe knows he didn’t play well. I think both teams will make adjustments and play better tomorrow.”
The Warriors can’t wait.
“It’s going to be incredible,” Joe Worsley said. “Tonight the crowd was awesome, but tomorrow will be another whole level.”
The Gauchos, the last ones to defeat the Warriors on senior night (2013), were led by freshman hitter Ryan Wilcox. The Punahou graduate put down nine kills with no errors until four in Set 3, and had UCSB’s lone ace.
Sophomore middle Jack Truman and senior hitter Corey Chavers both were in on six of the Gaucho blocks.
Hawaii didn’t pick up its first block until Colton Cowell and Patrick Gasman teamed to stuff Chavers to give the Warriors the 23-21 lead in Set 2. Gasman, the country’s leader in blocks, was in on three more in Set 3, including the match-ender when he and Joe Worsley again denied Chavers.
Tonight will be the program’s ninth sellout. Wade remembers the other eight — he was the Rainbow Wahine’s associate head coach during that time.
“We’ve been talking about this for 10 years, ever since I came back,” said Wade, the Warriors’ coach since 2010. “I was here in the heyday when sellouts were maybe not common but they happened.
“These guys deserve it. We’re so appreciative and humbled by the support. I’m thrilled we’ve gotten to this point where people are coming out and supporting men’s volleyball. Saturday will be awesome.”
Note
Senior hitter Stijn van Tilburg had nine kills and is at 1,299 for his career. He is seven away from passing Siki Zarkovic for No. 8 on the program’s career kills list.
