LONG BEACH, Calif. >> They aren’t the team from last year. They are bigger, stronger, more mature, with something to prove.
Talking about Hawaii? Yes … and no. Everything that can be said about the Rainbow Warriors is mirrored in their opponent in Thursday’s NCAA men’s volleyball championship semifinal: Lewis.
There is little resemblance between the 2018 Flyers, who were swept by Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center 25-12, 25-22, 25-19, and this edition that snuffed the national title aspirations of USC on Tuesday. Lewis eliminated the Trojans 20-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 in Tuesday’s first-round at the Walter Pyramid, finishing with a 17.5-9 edge in blocks, 10 by 6-foot-9 sophomore middle TJ Murray.
“It’s going to be physical, it’s going to be strategic, it’s going to be high-level volleyball, which is what you expect in the national semifinals and beyond,” USC coach Jeff Nygaard said of Thursday’s match. “Hawaii comes in with a very strong record. They’re driven, which probably stems from this time last year where they felt they should have been in (the NCAA tournament) and weren’t. They have a good emotional chip on their shoulder and want to prove a point.
“And then there’s Lewis, with three guys who carry the load and big guys in the middle. I don’t know who’s going to win — it’s why you play the game.”
The Trojans (18-11) were out to prove they deserved the NCAA at-large bid against the MIVA champion Flyers (26-5) and looked good early and late during the 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Set 1 opened with Lewis junior hitter Ryan Coenen taking four swings, the first three coming back and played by the Flyers in an extended rally.
The fourth attempt was stuffed by the Trojans triple block, and Lewis played catch-up the rest of the set, the first the Flyers dropped since losing in five at Ball State on March 23.
That was enough inspiration for the 6-9 Coenen, who quickly got out of negative hitting to finish with a match-high 18 kills while adding 11 digs.
He also was in on the match-ending triple block of Trojans 6-5 senior hitter Jack Wyett, teaming with 6-11 sophomore middle Tyler Mitchem and 6-5 senior setter Matt Yoshimoto. The block capped the Flyers’ 5-1 closing run.
Lewis trailed in Set 4 22-20 and 23-22. Mitchem put down his seventh kill, Coenen had a solo stuff of USC setter Chris Hall for match point. It set up the final block that had the Flyers in the national semifinals for the first time since 2015, when they lost to Loyola 3-2 for the NCAA title.
USC was led by senior hitter Gianluca Grasso’s 16 kills, while Wyett and senior hitter Ryan Moss each added 15. Moss finished with 11 digs for a double-double. The Trojans, who were swept at Hawaii the first week of the season, were plagued by poor serving (21 errors).
Lewis coach Dan Friend said he is looking forward to a great match with Hawaii on Thursday.
“We’re different from when we last played them, they’re different from then,” Friend said. “They’re playing great volleyball and we’re going to have to play our best.”
The Warriors watched the Lewis-USC match before having an evening practice in West Gym. Hawaii coach Charlie Wade anticipates a battle.
“Dan Friend has built that program into what it is today, perennially one of the top teams in the country,” Wade said. “This year is not different. They were the best team in the MIVA all year (13-1). They have the nation’s top server in Matt Yoshimoto and their go-to guy was national freshman of the year (Coenen in 2017).
“They’re big and talented and won a lot of matches the last few years. We’ll have to play well to win.”
Pepperdine 3, Princeton 2
Senior hitter David Wieczorek put down 15 kills and the third-seeded Waves outlasted the Tigers in Thursday’s second semifinal, 25-23, 19-25, 25-16, 22-25, 15-8.
Pepperdine (23-6) outblocked Princeton (18-13) 14-6.5 in a match that saw a combined 38 service errors and 93 digs. The Waves advance to face second-seeded Long Beach State (26-2) in Thursday’s second semifinal.
Senior hitter Kendall Ratter led the Tigers with 24 kills.
