It could be considered an embarrassment of riches, having three very talented setters on the active roster.

Or, with apologies to no one, it can be considered the way Hawaii stays among the elite programs in men’s college volleyball.

The Rainbow Warriors had a trio of setters last season — plus one redshirting — when embarking on a record-setting year that culminated in a national runner-up finish. The deck remains stacked when No. 1 Hawaii opens a new decade tonight with a new starter against Charleston at the Stan Sheriff Center.

It’s likely sophomore Jakob Thelle who gets the call when the lights come on against the Golden Eagles. Thelle had the most playing time backing up the since-graduated All-American Joe Worsley. The 6-foot-6 Norwegian appeared in 92 of the 102 sets and all 31 matches of the 28-3 campaign.

But Warriors coach Charlie Wade said his other two setters — junior Jackson Van Eekeren, who redshirted as a freshman in 2017, and redshirt freshman Brett Sheward — also will have significant roles beyond the practice gym.

“Jake is in front of the other two right now, but the other two both have things they do well,” said Wade, beginning his 11th season in Manoa. “Both (Van Eekeren and Sheward) have been on the practice court and led teams to wins, whether it’s the A side or the B side. I think everyone is comfortable with them setting.

“With us, you’re going to get your shot and we’ll see what happens when you get your shot. The best thing is that every time you bring someone in and they play well, then you know you have that option and can go back to them when needed. They’ll all play.”

The new look for the Warriors goes beyond replacing Worsley and three other seniors, including All-America outside hitter Stijn van Tiburg. The pace of Hawaii’s offense will be different, in part due to the taller setters. Worsley, listed at 6 feet, set a fast ball and was phenomenal at slinging it cross court to his outside hitters.

With Thelle and Van Eekeren, both listed at 6-6, and the 6-2 Sheward, the offense still will be fairly quick but with sets at a higher trajectory to utilize the footspeed of the attackers rather than the speed of the ball. It also allows for hitters to go above the block, such as seniors Rado Parapunov and Colton Cowell, who consistently can attack above the top of the antenna (about 111⁄2 feet high).

Each of the three setters has a different touch on the ball, but there is no difference in the mentality. They all welcome the competition and the opportunity to make themselves and their teammates better.

“When you have someone competing against you every day in practice you have that motivation to push yourself higher than you thought you could go,” said Van Eekeren, who has played in 15 sets in 12 matches the past two seasons. “We know there’s competition, but we all get along really well and we’re all pushing each other to be the best we can be.

“I just got back from home (Naperville, Ill.) and the whole time there I was thinking, ‘The season’s coming up, the season’s coming up.’ I can’t wait for it to start.”

Just as Van Eekeren learned during his redshirt season, so did Sheward. What he sees this year is Hawaii’s search for an identity with a young team that has six true freshmen, five redshirt freshmen and a junior college transfer among the roster of 21.

“We graduated some important players, some important leaders,” said Sheward, the CIF Division II Player of the Year out of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran. “Finding our identity this season is going to be important.

“What I’ve learned from (the other setters) is that they’re really good about thinking about the game. I’ve learned from their experience. We’re all pushing each other, and if we all work together, it means whoever is out there is the best. We’re pushing each other to do that.”

Thelle’s edge has been sharpened by years of international experience playing in Norway’s national team pipeline, including the senior team, which played in the European Championship qualifier.

“I think we have a good core returning, a good base to build on,” he said. “We have the same spirit and the same culture as last year. I think the team has a lot of talent that we can develop and see how far we can go.

“The setters are pushing each other, it’s always competitive. The ultimate goal is to be No. 1 at the end and we’re working hard toward that goal. I couldn’t be more excited to start.”