Hawaii will need to win the national championship to finish with a break-even volleyball record.
Thing is, even at 7-16 overall and 4-14 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Warriors have not been eliminated from NCAA-title contention.
But that is the dynamics of NCAA Division I/II volleyball, where false starts — and turbulent middles — can be overcome with strong finishes.
"We’re still in it," UH head coach Charlie Wade said. "Never say die."
The Warriors are in 11th place in the 12-team MPSF entering tonight’s match against seventh-place Long Beach State. The teams meet Saturday night in the final home match for four UH seniors. The Warriors close the regular season with two road matches next week against 12th-place UC Santa Barbara.
WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL
At Stan Sheriff Center
» Who: No. 14 Hawaii (7-16, 4-14 MPSF) vs. No. 9 Long Beach State (11-12, 6-10)
» When: 7 p.m. today and Saturday
» TV: OC Sports (Oceanic Ch. 12)
» Radio: KHKA 1500-AM
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The top eight teams qualify for the MPSF’s postseason tournament. Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge currently hold the last two spots, at 6-10. Northridge swept two matches from UH last week to own the tie-breaker.
To claim a seemingly improbable MPSF tournament berth, the Warriors would need to win out, while Long Beach can win no more than two of its final six matches.
The Warriors’ dilemma can be traced to a stretch in which they faced five top-four teams in 10 consecutive matches. They won only one of those matches and, following last week’s losses at Northridge, have dropped 11 of their past 12.
The Warriors have endured injuries and inconsistency. With Johann Timmer unavailable because of a severe ankle sprain, Taylor Averill and Harrison Carroll have platooned at opposite.
"I don’t think there’s any question we’ve gotten better," said Wade, noting the effort is not reflected in the standings.
"It’s been a rough year. Hopefully, we can enjoy the experience this weekend and get a couple of wins," outside hitter Steven Hunt said. "We have to come out and play our best every night and battle. That’s it."
The 49ers have had an uneven season, but they upset Brigham Young in five sets this past weekend. Earlier, they defeated UCLA. Taylor Crabb, an outside hitter from Punahou, has been one of the 49ers’ most consistent attackers.
