LONG BEACH, Calif. – The highest level University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball crew gave everything they had however fell two points short in a five-set thrill ride to No. 2 Long Beach State, Saturday at the Walter Pyramid. Set scores were 25-20, 20-25, 25-23, 24-26, 15-13.
The Rainbow Warriors (17-3, 0-2 BWC) dropped both matches in the two-match series to the Beach however not before profession performances by several players in Saturday’s loss. Keoni Thiim counted a profession high and match-high 20 kills along with two aces, seven digs, and one block while Louis Sakanoko posted 19 kills, nine digs, one expert, and three blocks.
One night in the wake of falling in three close sets, Hawai’i stretched out the match as far as possible despite committing a season-high 32 attack errors along with 26 service errors. A large part of the errors were attributed to the Beach’s huge frontline that created 20.5 group blocks and restricted UH to .248 hitting. Hawai’i oversaw six service aces contrasted with the Beach’s three.
LBSU (18-1, 4-0) was driven by Sotiris Siapanis’ 17 kills and 11 digs. Skyler Varga added 15 kills and six blocks while Simon Torwie finished with 10 blocks and six kills. Diaeris McRaven had eight blocks.
UH setter Track Rosenthal added a twofold with 57 assists and 15 digs while Alaka’i Todd posted 16 kills and three blocks.
Hawai’i leveled the match at 2-2 subsequent to scoring the final three points of Set 4, erasing one match point in the process. Yet, in Set 5, the Warriors couldn’t defeat a 4-1 run that put the Beach ahead 14-11. UH figured out how to fight off two more match points yet Siapanis kill from the backrow finished it.
Sakanoko entered the match in Set 2 and in the wake of recording six combined kills in Set 2 and 3, the Frenchman counted 10 kills in the fourth set alone, including a thunderous kill with score tied at 21. Thiim was similarly as impressive, recording six kills each in Sets 3 and 4.
The Beach took a 6-3 lead to start Set 5 however an expert by Todd closed the shortage to one. UH in the end tied it at 8 yet with the score hitched at 10, the Beach scored two straight with Torwie’s kill and block on consecutive plays. After a kill by Voss, Torwie had two additional blocks for a 14-11 lead. Sakanoko’s 19th kill erased one match point and an attack mistake by Varga pulled UH to within one. In any case, after a scramble play, Siapanis backrow kill finished the match.
Hawai’i returns to Honolulu for its final homestand of the season beginning with a two-match series against CSUN, Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.