Hawaii’s Jakob Thelle and Guilherme Voss start the season in synch

Whether from the service line or at the net, Hawaii showed off ample power and precision in its season-opening sweep of Loyola Chicago.

Prime examples of both attributes were provided by the combination of middle blocker Guilherme Voss and setter Jakob Thelle.

“Coming into the game me and Jakob have been working constantly on our connection,” Voss said. “We know if we get a good pass, we’re scoring.”

Voss indeed hammered 10 of his 13 attempts for kills and posted one error in UH’s 25-14, 25-23, 25-18 win over the Ramblers in the Rainbow Warriors’ first match as defending national champions. All but one of Voss’ kills came off an assist from Thelle. The exception was a tap-down kill after a dig by libero Brett Sheward hit off the bottom of the scoreboard in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Thelle’s velocity and accuracy on his jump serve also highlighted the opener, with the junior firing six aces, four of them handcuffing the Ramblers in an 8-0 UH run to open the third set.

Going into today’s 7 p.m. rematch to close the Outrigger Challenge, UH coach Charlie Wade noted the first step in the attack as an area for the Warriors to sharpen following the 108-minute victory.

Although UH didn’t surrender an ace on Wednesday, a bit of shaky passing in the second set led to a ragged stretch as Loyola went on a five-point run with Parker Van Buren on the service line.

“(UH’s passing) was good, not great,” Wade said in the postmatch Zoom session with media. “The second set got a little loose. We’ve got some new guys out there. We’re replacing two of the best receivers in all of collegiate volleyball last year in Colton Cowell and Gage Worsley. So those are some big shoes to fill and we’re used to a really high-level performance there. I thought Brett and Spryos (Chakas) were just OK. I’ve seen them be better in practice.

“That’s going to be something we’ll continue to work on.”

With Cowell in the building to help unveil the championship banner, Sheward handled a match-high 19 serve receptions with Chakas at 15 and Chaz Galloway with 10.

Thelle got the Warriors back on track with a five-point turn from the service line, including his first two aces of the night.

Loyola held a 22-21 lead before UH closed the set with a 4-1 run capped by a block by sophomore Cole Hogland on Loyola kills leader Cole Schlothauer’s back-row attack. The ‘Iolani graduate started the second and third sets and matched his previous career total with four blocks in the match.

“He’s a local boy who’s been here four years and just worked his okole off and we had two blocks in the second set and he had both of them,” Wade said.

“I said in the last timeout, ‘Wait for the bic.’ (Schlothauer) was in the back row coming. (Hogland) was so disciplined and just waited and had solid hands on it.”

Four UH starters finished the night with at least eight kills in Galloway (11), Voss (10), Dimitrios Mouchlias (nine) and Chakas (eight).

The opener marked the return of Mouchlias after he spent the 2021 season in Greece rehabbing an injury. Filip Humler, who was limited to two kills last season as he also dealt with injury, had two kills in three attempts in the third set on Wednesday.

“Good to get Fil in there, he’s not far away,” Wade said. “He does a lot of good stuff and he’s really good out of system.”

Freshman setter Jack Walmer made his first appearance as a serving substitute and recorded his first assist when he sent an out-of-system set to the right side, where Thelle played the role of finisher with a full swing for a kill.

Galloway had five service errors in 12 opportunities but also contributed four digs, including a kick save off his new pink and blue Adidas after he backed into Sheward to keep a rally alive.

Outrigger Challenge

At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center

No. 7 Loyola-Chicago at No. 1 Hawaii

>> When: Today, 7 p.m.

>> TV: Spectrum Sports

>> Radio: 1420-AM / 92.7-FM

>> Tickets: etickethawaii.com, Stan Sheriff Center Box Office (9 a.m.-5 p.m.)

>> Entry requirements: Proof of vaccination on LumiSight UH app or vaccination card or negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours (home test not allowed). Masks required unless eating or drinking. Only clear bags (12×12 inches) allowed inside arena. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.