The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team achieved a straight-set victory over No. 14 Penn State in its first visit to State College since 2002. The match, held at Rec Hall on Friday, ended with set scores of 25-22, 25-23, and 25-15.
Hawai’i, currently ranked third nationally and holding a 9-1 record, faced challenges in the opening two sets but secured a decisive win in the third set. The team’s last appearance at Penn State was during its NCAA Championship run more than twenty years ago.
Adrien Roure led the Rainbow Warriors’ offense with 10 kills on .333 hitting and three blocks. Kainoa Wade contributed nine kills and three aces, while Louis Sakanoko added nine kills and four digs. Collectively, these pin hitters accounted for 28 of Hawai’i’s 38 total kills.
The Warriors recorded a .368 hitting percentage for the match and finished with seven service aces—three each from Wade and setter Tread Rosenthal. On defense, Justin Todd posted six blocks and converted all six of his attack attempts into kills.
For Penn State (4-3), Sean Harvey delivered a match-high 12 kills.
In the first set, Hawai’i built an early lead before Penn State responded with a run to go ahead at 15-14. However, Hawai’i regained control following a series of blocks and maintained momentum to close out the set after an ace by Wade gave them set point.
Wade’s consecutive aces helped establish an early advantage in the second set. Although Penn State rallied to tie at 22-22 late in the frame, Hawai’i won three of the final four points to secure the set.
The Rainbow Warriors opened the third set with four straight points and maintained their lead throughout, highlighted by a solo block from Todd and an ace from Finn Kearney.
The teams are scheduled to meet again on Saturday at Rec Hall.
