A historic home win over the University of Southern California earned the a trip to Los Angeles for the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship semifinals.
Playing an NCAA Championship match on their home court for the first time in program history, the second-seeded Rainbow Warriors outlasted the Trojans 25-22, 24-26, 25-23, 32-30 in the regional final on May 2 at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
UH Mānoa (28-5) advanced to the final four for the fifth time in the last six seasons and the 11th time in program history with the win over the Trojans (20-8).
UH Mānoa opposite Kristian Titriyski put away a match-high 19 kills in his first NCAA tournament match. Adrien Roure posted 13 kills on .458 hitting and fired a career-high seven aces¡ªincluding a run of four in a row in the fourth set¡ªto set the program’s NCAA Championship record for aces in a four-set match.
Louis Sakanoko, held to two kills through the two-plus sets, finished with 12 kills and five blocks. Middle blocker Trevell Jordan added eight kills in 12 error-free swings and had four blocks.
Setter Tread Rosenthal, the Big West Player of the Year, distributed 56 assists to go along with three kills, three blocks and an ace and the Warriors hit .328 as a team to USC‘s .294.
The Warriors will next face Long Beach State on May 9 in a national semifinal at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles in a rematch of a five-set battle won by the Beach in the Big West Championship final on April 25 in Irvine, California. Â鶹´«Ã½Mānoa swept the regular-season series with the Beach on March 20 and 21 in Long Beach. The winner of that match will play the winner of Ball State and UC Irvine on May 11 for the national championship.
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