LORETTO, Pa. – With the temperature nearing 0 degrees outside, the third-ranked University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team heated up in DeGol Arena with a straight-set win over Saint Francis, Wednesday. Set scores were 25-23, 25-14, 25-10.
The Rainbow Warriors (8-1) were challenged in the opening set but easily won the last two sets by double digits each, winning 51 of the final 75 points, in the teams' first-ever meeting in Loretto.
Kainoa Wade led the way with a match-high 16 kills, hitting .538 with nine digs and two blocks.
Adrien Roure added 12 kills and two aces while
Louis Sakanoko totaled eight kills and six digs.
UH hit .425 as a team with four aces and seven team blocks.
The Red Flash (2-3) were led by Cole Dorn, who had nine kills in 22 attempts.
The teams battled back and forth for the better part of Set 1 until the Red Flash reeled off three straight for a 20-17 lead. The Warriors answered right back with three more of their own and took a 23-22 lead after a Wade-
Trevell Jordan double block. Sakanoko blocked an SFU dump attempt giving Hawai'i set point and Wade's kill ended it.
In Set 2, Rosenthal's ace spurred a big UH run and a 12-6 lead. The lead was up to double figures at 20-10 and Hawai'i went on to take a two sets to none lead. The Warriors jumped out early again in Set 3 after Roure's second ace. Wade's ace and kill on consecutive plays made it 11-4 and Hawai'i would not look back.
Hawai'i will next travel to Penn State for a pair of matches Friday, Jan. 30 and Saturday, Jan. 31 in University Park, Pa.
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