LONG BEACH, Calif. — It went beyond the numbers. And those were pretty impressive.
All of them.
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team:
Led the country in five statistical categories (hitting percentage, opponent’s hitting percentage and kills, assists and blocks per set;
Set the NCAA record for men’s volleyball with 74 consecutive sets won;
Had a program-best 25-match winning streak;
Bested the program’s mark for wins in a single season (28);
And the Rainbow Warriors’ senior class of 2019 of Brett Rosenmeier, Dalton Solbrig, Stijn van Tilburg and Joe Worsley had the most victories (90) of any four-year group … and all are walking in Saturday’s graduation ceremony.
But besides the UH records for first-team All-Americans (4) and first-team All-Big West (5) and obliterating the NCAA record for hitting percentage set by Long Beach State last season (.375) with a .435, there is something in which the Warriors take pride:
That of rekindling the fan interest — statewide and beyond — in their program last witnessed in the mid-1990s, when there were eight sellouts of the Stan Sheriff Center and a national record for average attendance of 7,930.
Warriors coach Charlie Wade was there during that time, on Dave Shoji’s Rainbow Wahine staff, when the women began their 19-year run as the country’s attendance leader, including the 8,378 average in 1996 that still stands.
A lot of factors went into the Warriors’ “fandemonium” in the Yuval Katz-Aaron Wilton era, some of which led many to tell Wade — hired 10 years ago — that the level would never be reached again. Terms like “fluke” and “perfect storm” and “lightning in a bottle” were peppered about like the volleyballs in prematch warm-ups.
It is true that there were differences from two decades ago. Then the arena was new (opened in October 1994), the charismatic players were treated like rock stars with local celebrities in attendance (think Tia Carrere) and boys high school volleyball was played in the fall along with the girls, allowing schools to bring both programs to watch the Hawaii men.
Wade wasn’t convinced. Neither was this group of Warriors, whose collective wish was to have at least one sellout before their careers were pau.
Hawaii had two this year, for senior night and for the Big West tournament championship, in which the Warriors won their first conference title and earned their first No. 1 seed into the NCAA tournament. It led to Hawaii becoming the national attendance leader for a third consecutive year and 21st time in 25 SSC seasons, its 5,210 average the best since 5,414 in 2003.
The Warriors helped others with their attendance as well, boosting that of Long Beach State’s for two weeks this season at the Walter Pyramid: 4,011 and record 4,674 for the two regular-season matches with Hawaii, and the 3,824 listed for Saturday’s title contest.
“This group really elevated our program, brought our community together in a way that few teams have been able to do,” Wade said. “It’s really powerful to see an entire state get behind a group of young men who have worked so hard to be the best representatives of their families, the university and the community.
“It’s not cliche to say. People in Hawaii have embraced this team at a level few have achieved. This is an impressive group of young men who will represent our community and our program the rest of their lives.”
There were plenty of tears after the 23-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-23 loss that ended the season at 28-3. Players said some of it was they wanted it so much — not for themselves or the program, but for the state.
“Hawaii is such a special place,” Worsley said. “Thank you to the fans. They are a huge part of what we do and inspired us every day.
“There are tears, not because we lost, but because this special experience is over.”
Added junior hitter Colton Cowell, named to the all-tournament team with Worsley and Rado Parapunov: “This senior class … we knew all these guys were capable of incredible things (on the court) but there are people all over the world following this senior class and how inspirational these guys are. The legacy that they have left behind for us is nothing but special.”
Hawaii loses four seniors but returns four starters, including first-team All-Americans Parapunov, at opposite, and libero Gage Worsley, as well as second-teamer Patrick Gasman. Parapunov and Gasman will be seniors, Worsley a junior.
Also back for their senior years are outside hitters Cowell, a starter, and James Anastassiades, used mostly as a serving sub. Rising sophomore Jakob Thelle will battle it out with returning junior Jackson Van Eekeren to replace Joe Worsley at setter, reserves Max Rosenfeld (middle) and Filip Humler (hitter) had brief but productive appearances.
Five redshirts are ready to continue the legacy left by the 2019 team and Chaz Galloway, a 6-foot-3 hitter from San Diego, and Dimitris Mouchlias, a 6-7 opposite from Greece, have committed for next season.
NOTE
Coincidentally all three of Hawaii’s NCAA title match appearances came on May 4; at UCLA (1996, a five-set loss), at Penn State (vs. Pepperdine, 2002, a four-set win), at Long Beach State (2019, a four-set loss).