Match Notes

HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team begins Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play with a two-match series against No. 4 Long Beach State, Thursday, Jan. 16 and Friday, Jan. 17. First serve is 7:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (2-1) moved up four spots to No. 10 in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll after defeating then-No. 11 Penn State and then-No. 12 Ohio State in the Outrigger Invitational. UH lost in four to UCLA, who moved up to No. 6 this  week, in the tournament's title match. Sophomore Sinisa Zarkovic averaged 4.00 kills per set and hit .306 during the tournament in earning all-tourney honors along with middle blocker Nick West, who hit .478 with a 2.36 kill average.
 
After beginning the season as the nation's top-ranked team, LBSU dropped three spots to No. 4 following a four-set loss to BYU. In defeat, reining AVCA National Player of the Year Taylor Crabb led the 49ers with a team-high 22 kills and nine digs, while hitting at a .306 clip. LBSU opened MPSF play with a straight set win at California Baptist earlier in the week.
 
Matches #4-5
Who: No. 10 Hawai'i (2-1, 0-0 MPSF) vs. No. 4 Long Beach State (2-1, 1-1 MPSF)
When: Thursday, Jan. 16 and Friday, Jan. 17
Time: 7:00 p.m. each night
Where: Stan Sheriff Center; Honolulu, HI
Television Coverage: OC Sports (Oceanic Cable Ch. 16 and Digital Ch. 1016) will televise Thursday's match live with Howard Dashefsky (play-by-play) and Chris McLachlin (color). Rebroadcast at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Streaming Video: Live video streaming is available on ocsports.tv.
Radio Coverage: ESPN 1420AM will broadcast both matches live with Tiff Wells calling the action.
Audio Webcast: www.espn1420am.com
Live Stats: Available at HawaiiAthletics.com
Tickets (Lower Bowl only): Adult $16; Senior Citizen $10; Student (4-HS) $5. UH-Manoa students receive admission with validated ID.
 
Promotions: Hawaiian Airlines is the sponsor on Thursday and will award 15,000 Hawaiian Miles to the winners of the "Servers' Challenge Competition" at intermission. Jack in the Box is the sponsor Friday and will distribute 750 bandanas and award $200 in Jack Cash at intermission.
 
Series vs. Long Beach State: The teams have played 74 times with the series tied at 37-37. The Beach have won the last four matches including series sweeps in each of the past two seasons, including last year in Long Beach, Calif., in which the 49ers won the first match in five and the rematch in straight sets. In Honolulu, UH leads the series 20-14.
 
Recapping Last Week's Outrigger Invitational: The Rainbow Warriors opened the 20th annual Outrigger Invitational with a decisive 25-22, 25-21, 25-21 victory over Ohio State with opposite Brook Sedore leading the way with 11 kills on .350 hitting. UH's middle attack of Nick West (8) and Taylor Averill (8) combined to average 5.33 kills per set and hit .545. The next night, UH overcame a one-set deficit to rally past Penn State, 20-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-21. Sinisa Zarkovic had a match-high 22 kills while PSU transfer Jace Olsen also topped his previous best with 15 kills against his former teammates. UH hit .350 as a team. Hawai'i and UCLA entered the final day of the tournament with 2-0 records. The teams split the first two sets, with each winning decisively. However the Bruins got their offense going in the final two sets, hitting, .393 and .483, respectively. Zarkovic and Olsen led the way with 13 kills for the Warriors. UCLA captured its fourth straight and ninth overall Outrigger title.