The University of Hawaii’s defense of its men’s national volleyball national championship got off to a good start with a 25-14, 25-23, 25-18 victory over Loyola Chicago tonight at SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Jakob Thelle’s rampage of four aces in the first sequence of the third set put UH up 8-0 and all but guaranteed the sweep. Thelle finished with a career-high six aces.

Chaz Galloway led the preseason No. 1 Rainbow Warriors with 11 kills. Cole Schlothauer paced the No. 7 Ramblers with 10.

The Warriors went right to work after their 2021 NCAA championship banner was raised in front of a crowd of 2,092.

And there it is. Colton Cowell helps unveil the 2021 national championship banner for @HawaiiMensVB. @StarAdvertiser pic.twitter.com/h3pF1T4KtF

— Jason Kaneshiro (@jasonkaneshiro) January 6, 2022

UH led all the way in the first set. Guilherme Voss, who finished with 10 kills, and Thelle combined for the match’s first block, putting the Warriors up 18-11 and forcing Loyola’s second timeout. Spyros Chakas and Galloway pitched in with four kills each in the first set. A service error by the Ramblers’ Nate Loose, a Punahou product, ended it.

>> PHOTOS: Hawaii sweeps Loyola-Chicago

Loyola took its first lead of the match in the second set, as Jimmy Meinhart’s three kills in a row and one from Schlothauer put the visitors in front 8-4. But UH edged its way back. The final of six kills in the set from Dimitrios Mouchlias put the Warriors up 24-23, and an emphatic block by Mouchlias and Chakas closed it out.

After Thelle’s serving spree to start the third, there was little drama, and the match ended on a Loyola service error.

Hawaii out-hit Loyola .381 to .169, and dominated the net with nine blocks to four. The Warriors were nearly perfect in the back row as the Ramblers had no service aces. Thelle had all six of UH’s aces.

The teams meet again Friday at 7 p.m. in the season-opening series dubbed the Outrigger Challenge.