Hawaii men’s volleyball turns back UC San Diego in heated match
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Hawaii outside hitter Adrien Roure roofs a kill attempt by UC San Diego opposite Anthony Cherfan during the first set.
The fourth-ranked Hawaii men’s volleyball team turned back No. 11 UC San Diego 27-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-18 tonight in a chirpy match that got heated between the two teams.
Louis Sakanoko and Adrien Roure led the Rainbow Warriors (21-2, 4-0 Big West) with 15 and 14 kills respectively. Freshman opposite Kristian Titriyski, who was benched midway through the second set and for most of the third, re-entered the match and steadied things with two kills in five swings and two blocks, much to the relief of a SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 6,359.
Things got testy between the two teams and it nearly boiled over in the fourth set on a Sakanoko kill to put UH ahead 14-11.
UCSD setter Bryce Dvorak was upset that Sakanoko may have crossed the line and the two began to yell at each other.
After a UCSD review, Sakanoko and Ofeck Hazan doubled up on a block of Anthony Cherfan to set off the loudest roar of the night from the crowd.
Nearly every point the rest of the match ended with the teams yelling back and forth.
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“I gave the setter kind of an assist with certainly getting the crowd back into it,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. “He’s always kind of chirpy and I think the crowd started taking exception to it and helped to get our guys back into it. We were a little flat and that kind of got us going.”
Josh Schellinger had 18 kills and Cherfan and Leo Pravednikov added 13 apiece for the Tritons (16-6, 2-2), who had won seven consecutive matches before their trip to Hawaii.
Hawaii will hit the road next week as the lone undefeated team in the Big West against No. 7 Cal State Northridge for two matches.
