IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team successfully debuted as the nation's new top-ranked team with a straight-set win over Concordia-Irvine, 25-20, 25-16, 25-16, Tuesday in a non-conference match-up at CU Arena.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (21-0) extended their season-long win streak to 21 and NCAA-best set win streak to 63. UH will next conclude their two-week road trip with a pair of Big West Conference matches at UC San Diego, March 29-30.
 
UH was led by the tandem of opposite Rado Parapunov and outside hitter Stijn van Tilburg. Parapunov finished with a match-high 15 kills, hitting .379 with six blocks and one service ace. Van Tilburg had 12 kills, hitting .524 with six digs and two blocks.
 
As a team, UH hit .449 for the match and out-blocked the Eagles, 11.5 to 1. Setter Joe Worsley dished out 29 assists and had a career-high seven kills. Middle blocker Patrick Gasman, the nation's leading blocker, added to his total with eight stuffs. 
 
The Eagles (12-16) were led by Jordan Hoppe's 11 kills while Raymond Barsemian added nine.
 
The teams were locked in a battle in Set 1 until UH back-up setter Jakob Thelle's ace and Parapunov's third kill put UH on top 12-9. The lead was 17-13 following a double block and a van Tilburg kill. Parapunov went back-to-back for a 21-17 lead, and the Warriors sided-out to victory with middle blocker Dalton Solbrig putting the finishing touches on the 25-20 victory.
 
Three straight points by UH including back-to-back kills by van Tilburg gave UH an 8-5 lead to start Set 2. The lead was six at 15-9 after the Warriors scored four unanswered including consecutive Eagle errors. CUI closed to within three but UH scored five of the next six points for a 20-13 lead. Hawai'i scored the final four points of the set capped by an ace by James Anastassiades.
 
After the Warriors scored the first four points of Set 3, the Eagles slowly chipped away, closing to within one at 10-9. However, a kill by Solbrig and a van Tilburg block gave UH some cushion at 13-9. Back-to-back kills and a block by Parapunov made it 17-11, and the Eagles never threatened. Gasman's eighth and final block closed out the match.