Men’s volleyball team sees title hopes end

This is worse than 2018. At least then, the Hawaii men’s volleyball team could put faces and names to those who decided against giving the Rainbow Warriors the at-large berth in the NCAA tournament. They knew who was on the selection committee and, also, who was looking back in the mirror, pointing to a four-match skid midway through the season as one of the factors.

On Thursday, it was a faceless, invisible virus that ended Hawaii’s season and that of hundreds of other teams in 10 winter sports that were about to hold championships and 10 spring sports that were midway through their respective seasons.

It had a name — COVID-19 — and the news updates through the day spread seemingly as quickly as the disease.

For the second-ranked Warriors, Thursday began in Los Angeles, where the discussion was over spectators not being allowed into today’s Big West season opener at Cal State Northridge. In quick succession, it was the Big West canceling its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, followed by the NCAA canceling March Madness … the Big West suspending play in all spring sports … and the final blow by the NCAA shutting down college athletics completely.

The 15-1 Warriors — currently the most prominent of the Manoa campus’ spring teams — were scheduled to return to Honolulu today.

“Still processing and focusing on the guys,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade wrote in a text, declining further comment.

The No. 4 Wahine beach volleyball team (7-2) was at Daniel K. Inouye International, headed to Deland, Fla., when it learned the season was done. The SandBows were scheduled to compete in the Stetson Beach Bash, with another four tournaments scheduled before the Big West championship.

The men’s basketball team (17-13) flew back from Anaheim, Calif., on Thursday night, traveling instead of playing UC Davis in a tournament quarterfinal.

Some of the Wahine basketball players and staff were to fly out of Long Beach tonight, the majority of the players staying on the mainland through spring break. Their original plan had been to prep for today’s semifinal against UC Santa Barbara, have dinner, then head to the Honda Center to support the men’s team.

“After the way we played (winning Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Cal State Fullerton), we were ready to win a championship,” said Wahine coach Laura Beeman, her team finishing 16-14. “The girls knew it. They felt it. They were very confident going into the Santa Barbara game.

“I think (the seniors) are heartbroken. When I told them, I think at first they were numb, and then they were pretty inconsolable, that this is the way their senior year, all their years of hard work, why we played this year, why we played for each other, was coming to an end. And the best way I can sum up my feeling — this is just my feeling — is it’s like you’re in a relationship and you think you’re getting married tomorrow, and they break up with you. And it’s fast. It’s hard. It’s unexpected. And you’re heartbroken, and you have no control, you have no recourse, you can’t get it back. But your heart is broken.”

That pain was felt at the Division II level, where the Hawaii Pacific women’s basketball team was the top seed and host of the West Regional that was to open today at the former Saint Francis School gym. The Sharks (29-1), No. 3 nationally, had won 25 straight, including their record-setting third consecutive PacWest tournament title, and were awarded hosting duties for the first time.

Only sixth-seeded Northwest Nazarene (22-7) got a practice in on Thursday before the regional was canceled.

“This was a historic season for HPU and I hope they remember that and not the sad way it ended,” said PacWest commissioner Bob Hogue, the regional site representative. “I think it was the proper action for all the sports associations.”

Hogue said there has been discussions within the NCAA commissioners regarding waivers that might allow for an extra year of eligibility for seniors affected.