Cole Hogland found blocking shots at the net more appealing than playing in the post.
As a two-sport athlete at ‘Iolani, Hogland was a regular in the school’s gyms as a member of the Raiders’ basketball and volleyball teams, just as his older brother before him.
Hugh Hogland went on to play college basketball at Portland and UC Davis before embarking on a professional career in Japan and earned a spot on the country’s national team for last year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Cole’s direction diverged from his brother’s when he chose to pursue volleyball, a decision that has paid off as well.
“I wanted to diversify and take my own path,” Cole Hogland said. “Hugh has his own path and he made it all the way to the Olympics. He’s done wonderful things in the world with basketball. … I’m taking my own road.”
Volleyball also offered Cole Hogland an opportunity to compete for Japan in the U23 Asian Championship and he now owns a national championship ring as a member of last year’s Rainbow Warrior roster.
He’s earned a prominent role in the UH lineup this season as part of the Warriors’ rotation of middle blockers.
After seeing action in four matches last season, the 6-foot-4 sophomore has played in 11 matches this season with five starts for the third-ranked Warriors (10-2). He’s hitting .542 in 48 attempts and ranks second on the team with 1.36 blocks per set.
With starting middle Guilherme Voss not available for UH’s matches at Ball State last month, Hogland put away 10 kills in 14 swings with no errors in a five-set loss to the Cardinals. Voss was out again last Friday against Long Island and Hogland posted a career-high 10 blocks, including two solo, in UH’s four-set win.
“He’s been impressive for a long time physically with what he does,” UH coach Charlie Wade said. “He’s been around long enough now that he’s more comfortable.”
Hogland has also played opposite and Wade noted Hogland’s vertical leap and ability to play at a high tempo among the attributes that have made him an effective member of UH’s middle rotation along with Voss, Max Rosenfeld and Kyler Presho.
“I think too that having (setter) Jakob (Thelle) being able to get him the ball where he wants it, and fast where he wants it, is good for him also,” Wade said. “Jakob’s such a dynamic player that those two next to each other are a lot to deal with.”
Hogland’s block total a week ago contributed to a collective effort at the net that produced a season-high 18.5 in the finale of a three-match series with Long Island.
The Warriors enter another three-match series, this time with No. 15 Lincoln Memorial, as the nation’s top blocking team with 3.195 per set followed by the Railsplitters at 3.071.
Wade said Voss, UH’s blocks leader at 1.44 per set, practiced earlier this week and “should be good to go,” for this week’s matches.
“You’d better be ready to cover on both sides because the ball will get blocked at some point,” Wade said. “They’re a good team, it’s not just the block you have to worry about. They hit for a high percentage and they’re going to serve the ball tough and we’re going to have our hands full, there’s no question.”
Lincoln Memorial (8-0) enters tonight’s series opener at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center as one of two undefeated teams in NCAA Division I-II and became the first independent team to earn a spot in the NVA/AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll.
The Railsplitters are sixth in the nation in hitting percentage at .333 with UH third at .366. Dawson Walker, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, arrived in Honolulu as the nation’s leading blocker at 1.429 per set. Matthew Gentry, a 6-7 sophomore, is seventh at 1.286.
UH has won all 12 sets in four previous meetings with Lincoln Memorial, two in Manoa in 2019 and two in Tennessee in 2018 and 2020.
Rainbow Warriors volleyball
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
No. 15 Lincoln Memorial (8-0) vs. No. 3 Hawaii (10-2)
>> When: Today and Saturday, 7 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.
>> TV: Spectrum Sports (Saturday and Sunday only)
>> Radio: 1500-AM, Friday; 1420-AM/92.7-FM, Saturday and Sunday
>> Tickets: etickethawaii.com, Stan Sheriff Center ticket office
