SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The short-handed University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team used a mix-match lineup in a four-set win over No. 18 UC Santa Barbara Friday in the first of two Big West matches at The Thunderdome. Set scores were 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-20.
 
The Rainbow Warriors (24-4, 7-2 BWC) extended their win streak over the Gauchos to 20 straight dating back to 2017 and head coach Charlie Wade tied Mike Wilton's program record 316^th career victory. Hawai'i can clinch at least a share of the Big West regular season title with a win in Saturday's rematch in the regular season finale.
 
UH played the match without starters Kristian Titriyski and Louis Sakanoko as Wade tinkered with his line-up throughout to find the right combinations. Kainoa Wade got the start at opposite with Finn Kearney starting at outside hitter. Kearney moved to opposite in Set 3 and Clay Wieter, who missed of the last month due to injury, came in relief at outside hitter. Ofeck Hazan also entered the match late at middle blocker.
 
Adrien Roure led the UH attack with 16 kills and just missed out on a double-double with nine digs. Kearney added 11 kills and shared team-high honors with Kurt Nusterer with six blocks. Nusterer had nine kills in 13 errorless attempts. Wieter tallied four kills and five digs and Wade tallied three kills.
 
As a team, UH hit just .248 but posted eight service aces, including a team-high three by Tread Rosenthal, and 10.5 team blocks.
 
The Gauchos (11-15, 2-7) were led by George Bruening's match-high 19 kills.
 
Kearney, who made his third straight start, teamed with Roure to combine for 11 of the team's 16 kills in the opening set. UH trailed 21-19 after former 'Bow Jack Walmer's ace but would go on to out-score the Gauchos 6-1 to close out the season. Roure's fifth and sixth kills ended it.
 
After the Gauchos dominated Set 2, the Warriors came out hot in the third, scoring the first six points of the set. But that lead would eventually disappear as the Gauchos tied it at 17. The teams traded side-outs until the Gauchos surged ahead 22-21 after stuffing Kearney. But as like the opening set, UH dug deep and scored the final four points including a solo block by Rosenthal for the set winner.
 
Hawai'i used a 7-0 scoring run with Wade at the service line to take a 15-11 lead in Set 4. Included Wade ace, two kills by Wieter and a pair of blocks. Serving specialist Kai Taylor's ace made it 20-14 and that was all the cushion the Warriors would need to close out the match.
 
The teams play again on Saturday to wrap up the regular season. Match time is 7:00 pm. (4:00 p.m. HT), at The Thunderdome.