HONOLULU
— The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team will open the 2021 season with a pair of two-match series against UC Irvine, Feb. 21-22 in Irvine, Calif., and at UC San Diego, Feb. 24-25 in La Jolla, Calif. All four matches will not count toward either teams' Big West Conference records. The No. 2 Rainbow Warriors (0-0) return all seven starters from a team which started the 2020 season with a 15-1 record before the pandemic put an end to the season.
| HAWAI'I (0-0, 0-0 Big West) vs UC SAN DIEGO (0-0, 0-0 Big West) |
| Date | Time |
Wednesday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m. PT and Thursday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m. PT |
| Location |
La Jolla, Calif. - RIMAC Center |
| Live Stream |
ESPN3 |
| Radio |
ESPN Honolulu / Sideline Hawaii App |
| Live Stats |
UCSDTritons.com |
| Game Notes |
Hawai'i |
| Social Media |
@HawaiiMensVB  | #HawaiiMVB #WarriorBall21 | @HawaiiMVB  | Facebook  |
HEAD COACH CHARLIE WADE
Overall record: 196-109 (12th season)
At Hawai'i: Same
SERIES VS UCI & UCSD
Overall record vs. UC Irvine: UH leads 39-22
Streak: UH, 4
Overall record vs. UC San Diego: UH leads 56-4
Streak: UH, 13
FIRST SERVE
- UH is 33-9 all-time in season-openers including an 9-2 mark under head coach Charlie Wade. The Warriors have won seven straight season-openers dating back to 2014.
- This week's matches mark the first time UH will open the season on the road since 2013.
- All four matches are considered non-conference. UH has a current 12-match non-conference, road win streak dating back to 2018.
- UH returns all seven starters from last year's squad that posted a 15-1 mark before the pandemic put a halt to the season.
- Charlie Wade begins his 12th season as head coach with a career record of 196-109. He needs four victories for win No. 200 to become only the second coach in program history to reach that milestone.
- For the fourth consecutive week, UH is No. 2 in the AVCA Coaches Top 15 poll. Hawai'i is tied for No. 1 in the Off the Block Top 10 Media Poll along with BYU. Last week, the Warriors earned the top spot outright in the media poll for the first time this season.
- Senior opposite Rado Parapunov needs 14 kills to become the 18th player in program history to reach 1,000. The Sofia, Bulgaria native has 986 kills.
- UH has won the last four meetings in the series with UC Irvine and holds a 39-22 overall mark. The Warriors have also won four straight over the Anteaters in Irvine, Calif., since 2015.
- UH holds a 13-match win streak over UC San Diego with its last lost to the Tritons in 2012. The Warriors have won eight straight in the series in La Jolla, Calif.
- Senior outside hitter Colton Cowell will wear No. 24 this season in honor of Kobe Bryant. The Makawao, Maui native has worn No. 17 throughout his UH career.
- Senior middle blocker Patrick Gasman needs 17 blocks to move into No. 4 all-time in program history.
BUCKS-FOR-BLOCKS
- University of Hawai'i Athletics and 'Ahahui Koa Ānuenue are inviting fans to pledge per block in the "Bucks for Blocks" fundraising initiative for the 2021 men's volleyball season.
- Although currently it is not possible to attend matches, this program provides an alternate way to cheer on the Rainbow Warriors while also supporting UH Athletics.
- Make your pledge here.
#HawaiiMVB
