Even with its new camouflage-patterned jerseys, the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team could not hide its collective disappointment in Sunday’s five-set loss to UC Irvine in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Left-side hitter Jeremy Dejno slammed 21 kills and left-handed opposite Zack La Cavera pounded 13 to boost the Anteaters to their fourth victory in a row — 25-20, 17-25, 25-15, 15-25, 18-16.

For the Rainbow Warriors, the momentum shifted following the change-of-court turn. With UH leading 8-6, middle blocker Davis Holt hammered an overpass for an apparent three-point lead. But down referee Dickson Chun ruled that Holt struck the net on his follow-through. The point was awarded to Irvine, the two-time defending national champions, closing the deficit to 8-7.

"He did not hit the net," UH coach Charlie Wade fumed after the match. "That’s 9-6 us, with us still serving. Davis did not touch the net. It’s a bang-bang play up there. It was horrible. It was absolutely horrible."

No replay was available because the match was not televised.

But Holt vehemently denied committing an infraction.

"Put that on record: I did not touch the net," Holt told a reporter. "I saw the net shaking. The ball hit the net, for sure. It wasn’t from me. I’m 6-9. I’m not going to touch the net. That’s the first rule of volleyball."

The Anteaters then tied it when middle Scott Kevorken and setter Daniel Stork teamed to block opposite Brook Sedore’s spike from the left front.

The fifth set would be tied seven more times, the last at 16.

Dejno then soared above a double block to hit a crossing shot that landed in the right corner.

UH left-side hitter Siki Zarkovic, facing a single block in transition, then hit long to end the 2-hour, 24-minute match.

"We were down 2-1, so to get to a fifth (set), you’re pretty fortunate," Wade said. "We had a shot. It was kind of back and forth. We had the right guys taking swings at the end. We just didn’t score. When it ends 18-16, it’s a play or two. That’s why the net call on us is disappointing."

UH middle Taylor Averill said of the heavily debated call: "It was definitely a bummer. You have to play on."

The teams alternated dominating sets. In the first and third, La Cavera mesmerized the Warriors with full-bodied serves. He was the server for 10 natural points in those two sets, half coming on aces. He finished with six aces.

"You just have to put some passion behind it," La Cavera said. "When I get back there, I try to get my groove. I try not to let the score bother me. I try not to let the other side bother me. I try to give myself a good toss and get after it. I try to use my hips and follow through with my shoulders. I end up feeling it after matches. My right hip is already flaring up, and my back is sore."

Zarkovic boosted UH with 19 kills and Sedore added 17. UH outside hitter Jace Olsen had only six kills and hit .043. But the Warriors scored 19 points on Olsen’s 27 serves.

"Jace is such a presence on the court," Wade said. "And with his serving, he blew open the fourth (set) for us. And the second, too."

Olsen served eight consecutive points in UH’s 9-0 run in the fourth set.

"I got a couple of notes from Brook," Olsen said, smiling. "He taught me how to serve. It’s all about the toss, and hitting it as hard as you can."

Both teams made key strategic moves. Stork replaced setter Roberto Frazzoni for the final three sets. Holt, who did not play in Friday’s match between the teams, entered in the fourth set and finished with four kills and three fifth-set blocks.

"Gosh, I think we both demonstrated when we play at the top of our games, we’re both very difficult teams to handle," Irvine coach David Kniffin said. "I think overall, when we’re clicking offensively, we’re a hard team to handle. But I have to say Hawaii played some of the best team defense we’ve seen and gone up against. We were hitting some shots, including two of our best serves in (set) 5, and Hawaii just scooped them up and made like we were spinning down balls from the end line. That’s hard to compete against."

MPSF VOLLEYBALL

Sunday
UC Irvine def. Hawaii, 25-20, 17-25, 25-15, 15-25, 18-16
Stanford def. USC, 25-15, 25-14, 25-22

Tuesday
Pepperdine at UCLA

Wednesday
UC Irvine at Cal Baptist
USC at UC Santa Barbara

UC IRVINE DEF. HAWAII, 25-20, 17-25, 25-15, 15-25, 18-16

ANTEATERS (13-8, 10-7 MPSF)

RAINBOW WARRIORS (11-8, 9-7 MPSF)

Service Aces — UC Irvine 7 (La Cavera 6, Hershko). Hawaii 4 (Olsen 2, Sedore, Averill). Service errors — UC Irvine 16 (La Cavera 5, Dejno 3, Mehring 3, Hughes 2, Kevorken 2, Frazzoni). Hawaii 14 (Sedore 4, Averill 3, Olsen 2, Ramos, Zarkovic, Hartley, Timmer, Mol). Assists — UC Irvine 51 (Stork 27, Frazzoni 16, Kevorken 2, Dejno 2, Brinkley 2, Hughes, Mehring). Hawaii 53 (Ramos 45, Kanetake 4, Olsen 2, Zarkovic, Franciskovic). T — 2:24. Officials — Daphne Nelson, Dickson Chun. A — 2,761.