HONOLULU – The fourth-ranked University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team served a season-high 16 aces in a four-set win over 19
th-ranked Princeton, Wednesday in the first of two non-conference matches at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 25-17.
The Rainbow Warriors (5-0) remained unbeaten on the season with a lethal serving game that featured five different players with multiple aces led by
Kristian Titriyski's five.
Adrien Roure and
Clay Wieter each tallied three aces while
Justin Todd and
Finn Kearney had two apiece.
As a team, UH hit .381 in the match while Titriyski and Roure combined for more than half of the team's kill total. Titriyski finished with a match-high 15 kills while Roure added 12 kills, hitting .429. Todd posted a career-high seven kills in nine attempts.
The Tigers (0-2) were led by Nyherowo Omene's 14 kills and three aces. Mason Rice added 12 kills, hitting .579.
In the first meeting between the teams in Honolulu since 2017, the teams went toe-to-toe for the better part of three sets until the Warriors jumped all over the Tigers in the fourth set.
UH needed a five-point scoring run late in the first set, fueled by consecutive aces by Kearney and another by Roure on set point. The second set was similar to the first as Roure led a late 7-1 run with three kills as the Warriors served seven aces in the set including Wieter's set-winner.
The Tigers turned the tables on Hawai'i in the third set as a 9-3 run closed out the frame and extended the match. But it was all UH in the fourth, as a 9-2 run made it 13-5. The lead was double digits at 19-9 as Roure served two aces during a 5-0 run.
The teams play again on Friday at 7:00 p.m., at SimpliFi Arena.
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