HONOLULU – The No. 3 University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team opened the 2024 season with a straight-set win over 10^th-ranked Loyola Chicago, Wednesday, at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-23, 25-19, 25-20.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (1-0) extended their win streak in season-openers to 11.
 
Spyros Chakas led all attackers with 16 kills along with four digs and three blocks. Alaka'I Todd added seven kills, eight digs, and two aces while Keoni Thiim came off the bench and provided a spark with three kills, and ace, and two digs.
 
As a team, the Warriors hit .256 with six aces and 7.5 blocks. UH also out-dug the Ramblers (0-1), 43-to-30 as libero 'Eleu Choy led all players with a career-high 15 digs. Freshman setter Tread Rosenthal made his collegiate debut and finished with 32 assists, two aces, and two kills.
 
Parker Van Buren led Loyola with nine kills.
 
The Warriors needed to rally late in Set 1 and overcame an eight-point deficit in Set 3.
 
In the first set, Loyola led 21-20 before the Warriors scored three straight behind Choy's stellar defense. A kill by Galloway gave UH set point and the Ramblers served long giving the Warriors the 1-0 lead in the match.
 
UH opened up an 11-6 lead to start Set 2 and extended the advantage to 18-10 after four-point surge. Hawai'i hit .355 in the set as Chakas and Todd combined for nine of the team's 14 kills.
 
The Ramblers took their biggest lead of the night in Set 3 and led 15-7 lead at the media timeout. Thiim entered the lineup and UH immediately scored three straight, which included Thiim's lone ace. The Warriors kept clawing back and used an 8-0 run to take an 19-17 lead behind the serving of Rosenthal. Consecutive kills by Thiim made it 22-19 and Hawai'i closed out the match with a Rosenthal-Kurt Nusterer double block.
 
The teams meet again on Friday at 7:00 p.m.