Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade doesn’t want to hear anything about his team being young.
Yes, there likely will be three freshmen in the starting lineup for tonight’s season opener against No. 20 McKendree at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, but these aren’t the normal 17-year-old, baby-faced college kids.
Outside hitter Adrien Roure is a veteran of the France national team program who was selected as the best outside hitter and best scorer of the European Championship for France’s under-20 squad.
Opposite Kristian Titriyski was named the best scorer of the U19 FIVB World Championship, received the best opposite award at the 2023 Balkan Championship and helped Bulgaria finish third in the 2022 European Championships.
Middle blocker Ofeck Hazan is in his early 20s and is a member of the Israeli Senior National Team.
To put it in perspective, returning Big West Freshman of the Year Tread Rosenthal will be younger than Hazan is now when he finishes his college eligibility in two years.
Yet, the focus doesn’t change. Hawaii might have ended a run of four straight seasons advancing to the national championship match last season, but the end goal remains the same.
“The expectations for us is to be the best team in the country and win every night we go out,” Wade said. “They have been buying into a lot of different concepts and things that are new to them, and that is always a good sign. A lot of times young guys want to show you what they can do. These guys are here to learn and to see how good that they can get.”
The Rainbow Warriors put on an exciting display of volleyball in Monday’s exhibition against British Columbia, but the real season begins tonight against the Bearcats.
UH is coming off a 23-7 season in which it finished the year ranked fifth in the nation despite losing All-America outside hitter Spyros Chakas to an injury in the match preceding the start of Big West play.
UH welcomes 11 newcomers to a roster of 19 total players, with returning starters at setter, libero and middle blocker.
Redshirt junior middle Kurt Nusterer and senior libero ‘Eleu Choy are the only two players to have played in at least two seasons with the Rainbow Warriors.
Rosenthal’s jump from his first season to his second might be the most important development for the success of this year’s team.
“Having Tread be so mature for his age has helped out,” Nusterer said. “It’s been fun. Guys have really gotten into shape and it’s a battle out here every day.”
Of the six players to record at least 140 kills last season, only sophomore Louis Sakanoko returns.
Hawaii also has senior Clay Wieter, a transfer from Lindenwood who earned second-team, All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association honors last year, and freshman Finn Kearney, the No. 3-rated recruit in the country, competing at outside hitter.
UH has won 11 straight season openers and will debut with a MIVA team for the fourth straight season.
McKendree was picked to finish fifth in the MIVA preseason poll and is led by senior outside hitter Kevin Schuele, who made the All-MIVA preseason team after earning AVCA All-America honorable mention honors.
The Bearcats are one of 12 teams in the preseason AVCA Top 20 UH has on its schedule this season.
Hawaii debuted at No. 4 in the rankings, making it eight straight seasons UH has opened in the Top 5.
“That’s pretty predictable, pretty status quo,” Wade said. “It will be a bloodbath in the league again. Looking at the poll … we’re going to get a lot of opportunities to play the best teams in the country.”
