HONOLULU – The fourth-ranked University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team completed the Big West Conference series sweep of CSUN Saturday with a straight set win at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-11, 25-17, 26-24.
The Rainbow Warriors (18-3, 3-1 BWC), who defeated the Matadors in four sets on Friday, remained unbeaten at home this season (14-0) and extended their conference home win streak to 12 dating back to the 2018 season. Hawai'i has now won five straight heading into a pivotal two-match series against rival Long Beach State next week in Long Beach, Calif.
For the second straight night, outside hitter
Spyros Chakas led the Warriors with 13 kills, hitting .500 with six digs and four blocks. Opposite
Dimitrios Mouchlias added 12 kills in 17 errorless swings while setter
Jakob Thelle had three of UH's six aces and a team-high eight digs along with 31 assists.
As a team, the Warriors posted 12.5 team blocks and hit .417 while limiting the Matadors to .120 hitting and four aces. On Friday, CSUN tallied a UH-opponent season-high 10 aces.
Hawai'i scored the first six points of Set 1, which included back-to-back aces by Thelle. The lead was 11 at the media timeout and the Warriors never looked back, hitting .632 in the frame with two blocks and four aces.
In Set 2, Thelle's third ace highlighted a three-point spurt and a 13-7 lead. The Matadors closed to within three but Hawai'i used an 8-3 run to close out the set with four kills by Chakas.
The Matadors took a 13-10 lead in Set 2 after consecutive aces by Luke Krzmarzick. The Warriors tied it at 15 after back-to-back kills by
Cole Hogland. The teams traded side-outs and seesawed back and forth into the lead until closing out the match with back-to-back blocks by Hogland.
Hogland and fellow middle blocker
Guilherme Voss led the Mānoa Roofing Company with five blocks each.
The anticipated series between UH and Long Beach State next week is scheduled for April 1 and 2 at The Pyramid. Saturday's match will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
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