The numbers were — and continue to be — undeniable.

When Hawaii coach Charlie Wade was considering an adjustment to the Rainbow Warrior volleyball team’s rotation last season, the figures pointed to increasing Patrick Gasman’s impact on a given match.

“I was probably a little stubborn last year just waiting until into March before we did it,” Wade recalled. “Some of it has to do with how we align our servers, but at the end of it all the data points pointed to giving Patrick another time across the front row.

“He was going to have a third more opportunities to block, and he would get a third more opportunities to attack, and a third opportunity to serve per set. So, the net result, and it’s played out that way, has been in overall increase in point scoring for our team.”

Gasman, a 6-foot-10 middle blocker ended the abbreviated 2020 season as a three-time All-Big West pick and a second-team All-American. Upon returning for a sixth year, “Uncle Pat”— whom his teammates routinely profess as the best middle in the country — has continued his rise in the program and national rankings.

The combination of Gasman alongside 6-foot-9 fellow senior Rado Parapunov gives the Warriors a towering block that has helped keep the No. 1 Warriors (9-0, 4-0 Big West) among the top blocking teams in the nation entering this week’s series with Big West rival and seventh-ranked Long Beach State (3-1, 3-1) at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

“Rado and I have really good chemistry, we understand each other a lot,” Gasman said. “It’s one of those things, I don’t even look to see if he’s there. We play well together, we know how to work together and we build energy off of each other. I think that has helped us be really successful over the last couple of years, and especially this year.”

Gasman entered the week second in the country in blocks per set at 1.467, leading UH to the same spot in the team rankings at 2.9. He’s also third nationally and first in the Big West in hitting percentage at .509 for a UH attack that tops the country at a collective .379.

On UH’s career charts, Gasman is one block assist from catching Jason Olive (1992-95) for third in program history at 390. Five total blocks will also move him into third alongside Dio Dante (2004-07).

He set career highs with 14 kills and nine blocks in the four-set Big West opener at UC Santa Barbara on March 11. The following night, he put down eight of his nine attempts without an error and was in on four blocks in a sweep of the Gauchos.

His first match back home in more than a year wasn’t quite as efficient when Gasman and setter Jakob Thelle struggled to find their rhythm early on against UC San Diego last Friday. Gasman had one kill in seven attempts with two errors to hit minus-.143 through two sets and began the third on the bench with sophomore Max Rosenfeld inserted into the lineup.

Rosenfeld played the final two sets and provided a spark with four kills in six swings and four blocks in UH’s four-set win over the Tritons

“Honestly, right call,” Gasman told reporters this week. “I wasn’t in the right head space. There were some extenuating circumstances from the earlier part of the day that I just let affect me negatively and Max came in and brought the energy, brought the vibes and we totally changed our mindset we swept those next two sets easy.”

Gasman was back in his customary spot with the starting group for Saturday’s rematch and had seven kills while hitting .400 with four blocks and UH’s lone ace of a quick sweep.

“He could have gone back in (on Friday) but some of that too is you give Max a shot, who, as I’ve said, has been the most improved player in our gym and you know that the other team doesn’t have a book on him in terms of scouting reports,” Wade said. “So you know that’s just one of those you make the decision and go with it, and certainly confident that he could have gone back out there and anytime Friday and would be ready to play again on Saturday.”

This week, Gasman and the Warriors are preparing for their first matchup with Long Beach State since the 2019 NCAA championship match, won by the Beach in four sets. Two weeks earlier, UH thrilled a packed Stan Sheriff Center in a five-set victory for the Big West tournament title.

Although some of the leading producers for the Long Beach State have changed in the two years since, “I expect pretty much the same,” Gasman said.

“They are athletes, Alan Knipe’s a great coach, he runs a very efficient offense and defense, so I think we’ll prepare for them the same way we prepared for previous teams.”

BIG WEST VOLLEYBALL

At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center

No. 7 Long Beach State (3-1, 3-1 Big West) vs. No. 1 Hawaii (9-0, 4-0)

>> When: Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m.

>> TV: Spectrum Sports

>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.-FM