HONOLULU – The top-ranked University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team will host the 2021 Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship presented by the Hawaiian Islands this week at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. The Rainbow Warriors (15-0) are the top-seed and will receive a bye into the semifinals where they will face the winner of fourth-seeded UC San Diego and fifth-seeded CSUN. The tournament begins on Thursday and ends with the championship match on Saturday.
 

2021 OUTRIGGER BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
Who				Semifinal #2 - No. 1-seed Hawai'i (15-0) vs. No. 4-seed UC San Diego (4-12)
Date | Time				Friday, April 23; 7:00 p.m. HT
Location				Honolulu, O'ahu — SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Television				Spectrum Sports. Kanoa Leahey (play-by-play), Lisa Strand (analyst).
Live Stream				www.bigwest.tv
Radio				ESPN Honolulu (1420AM/92.7FM). Tiff Wells (play-by-play).
Streaming Audio				ESPNHonolulu.com; Sideline Hawaii app
Live Stats				HawaiiAthletics.com
Game Notes				Hawai'i
Social Media				@HawaiiMensVB  | #HawaiiMVB #WarriorBall21 | @HawaiiMVB  | Facebook

      
FIRST SERVE

• UH (15-0) is the No. 1 seed in the Big West Tournament for the first time in program history and is still considered the defending champion having won the last tournament in 2019. The 2020 championship was canceled due to the pandemic.
• UH hosted the championship in 2019 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, defeating No. 1 seed Long Beach State in an epic five-set thriller. The Beach defeated Hawai'i in the championship match of the inaugural tournament in 2018 in Long Beach, Calif.
• UH has a bye into Friday's semifinals will play the winner of Thursday's quarterfinal match between fourth-seeded UC San Diego and fifth-seeded CSUN. Friday's semifinal match is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. HT. UC Santa Barbara is seeded No. 2 and also earned a bye into the semifinals where they will play the winner of Long Beach State and UC Irvine.
• Hawai'i won its semifinal match and advanced to the championship in each of its last three conference tournaments - 2019 (Big West), 2018 (Big West), and 2017 (MPSF).
• UH went 4-0 against UC San Diego this season — 2-0 in La Jolla and 2-0 in Honolulu — while winning three of the four matches in straight sets. 
• Hawai'i has a nation's best 16-match win streak dating back to last season. UH and Daemen (10-0), an independent, are the only unbeaten teams in Division I-II. Daemen has already concluded its season.
• UH's 15-0 start to the season is second only to the 2019 team for the best start in program history. The 2019 squad won its first 25 matches en route to a 28-3 campaign.
• UH is No. 1 nationally in team hitting percentage (.373), kills per set (13.95), and assists per set (12.61).
• OPP Rado Parapunov has reached double figures in kills in all 15 matches this season and 21 straight dating back to last season.
• Middle blocker Patrick Gasman needs 15 total blocks to move into second all-time in program history tying Jason Olive, who is No. 2 at 474.

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.