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“Everybody loves the idea of being a champion and playing in front of sold-out crowds. Not everybody loves the lifestyle and not everybody embraces showing up every day and being the best version of yourself possible on a daily basis.”
Those were the words of Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade a week before the start of the 2026 season.
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team, fresh off an appearance in the NCAA national semifinals with five returning starters and a number of key reserves, was the preseason No. 2 team in the country.
After four straight trips to a national final, Hawaii was on the outside looking in the previous two seasons, including missing the entire NCAA Tournament in 2024 after losing senior captain Spyros Chakas to a season-ending injury during the finale of the Outrigger Invitational.
There was a clear understanding during the middle of the two Monday practices before the season opener what this team was capable of.
The talent was obviously there in the gym, but could this team commit every day to going through the necessary process to eventually hold a national championship trophy at the end?
“We all know physically we can play with any team. I think, mentally last year, we were a little immature at times, and we didn’t understand the full weight of every game matters and every point matters.”
Hawaii’s All-American setter, Tread Rosenthal, was halfway through his UH career and still only 19 years old when the season began. Fresh off of a summer playing with the USA U21 national team, Rosenthal had already established himself as the unquestioned leader of this group capable of winning it all.
He knew right away it was more about the mental side of volleyball than the physical.
When UH suffered its second January home loss to Loyola Chicago in the last three seasons in the fourth match of the season, Rosenthal was on the court, playing with a back injury that kept him from unleashing his normal serve.
In Hawaii’s loss to UC San Diego on the final road trip of the regular season, Rosenthal was sick to his stomach in the locker room 30 minutes before game time. It kept him from starting the match, but even as sick as he was, he came in for the third set and was there for his team, even in defeat.
He is a true leader by example.
“You’ve got to love the way the guys handled it. Just kind of laughing and smiling after dealing with the cops for two hours.”
Wade’s team peaked in its nonconference schedule with its performance on two road trips that were anything but normal. The team barely made it in time to Pennsylvania, needing more than a day to navigate all of the terrible weather to complete the nearly 5,000-mile journey before rattling off victories over Saint Francis and then Penn State twice.
Two weeks later, one of its vans was broken into the night the team landed in Northern California before prepping to play Stanford for two matches.
Backpacks and suitcases were all missing from the van, which had its windows busted through.
Some of the players’ stuff was found on the side of the road the next day with valuables missing.
Sophomore Kristian Titriyski somehow recovered his passport two days later from his bag that was found in a dumpster after a security guard noticed suspicious activity.
Junior Quintin Greenidge was still waiting for his new passport while in Los Angeles for the NCAA final four to allow him to return home to Canada.
Despite that, Hawaii went out and swept the Cardinal as part of an 11-match winning streak that included wins over Brigham Young in a last-minute home series scheduled after the cancellation of a NIL tournament.
“Sometimes that stuff just happens.”
Rosenthal and the ‘Bows could have gotten rattled by their five-set loss to Long Beach State in the Big West tournament final.
Hawaii had defeated the Beach in back-to-back matches inside of the Pyramid to start conference play and was the No. 1 seed in Irvine, Calif., when Long Beach State freshman opposite Wojciech Gajek had 27 kills and hit .489 in a memorable performance, for both what he did on the court and off the court with the double shakas down celebration.
UH failed to convert five match points in the fourth set and then got down too much early in the fifth set to mount any kind of serious rally.
Hawaii’s fifth loss of the season hurt, but again, just like after the loss to No. 1 UCLA in straight sets in the regular season, the main goal was still highly attainable. All it would take is three more wins.
“I’ve talked about this all season. I think we’re just a more mature team this year.”
Rosenthal was right from the very start. Sitting at the NCAA championship press conference, Rosenthal reflected on Hawaii’s ability to come back from getting absolutely smoked in the opening set against UC Irvine to win in four and claim the third national title for Hawaii in the last six years.
Louis Sakanoko, who was dealing with torn ligaments in his hand, was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.
Titriyski, sitting to the right of Rosenthal, already knew he was turning pro and not coming back, but played through the emotion to lead his team in kills in both matches in Pauley Pavilion.
In the final match of the year, Hawaii hit .410. Every starting hitter finished with a hitting percentage of .323 or more.
The Big West final loss to the Beach was avenged in the semifinal. Hawaii’s dominance over the Anteaters, with its 22nd win in the last 24 meetings, continued.
Hawaii won 30 wins for the first time. Six of those wins were against Long Beach State or UC Irvine and none of those was in the Stan Sheriff Center. UH set the NCAA Tournament record for home attendance with 9,943. It now has as many national championships this decade as every other school combined.
“We’ve built something that is unique (on) the planet,” Wade said.
Yes, indeed.
Continue reading...
Those were the words of Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade a week before the start of the 2026 season.
The Hawaii men’s volleyball team, fresh off an appearance in the NCAA national semifinals with five returning starters and a number of key reserves, was the preseason No. 2 team in the country.
After four straight trips to a national final, Hawaii was on the outside looking in the previous two seasons, including missing the entire NCAA Tournament in 2024 after losing senior captain Spyros Chakas to a season-ending injury during the finale of the Outrigger Invitational.
There was a clear understanding during the middle of the two Monday practices before the season opener what this team was capable of.
The talent was obviously there in the gym, but could this team commit every day to going through the necessary process to eventually hold a national championship trophy at the end?
“We all know physically we can play with any team. I think, mentally last year, we were a little immature at times, and we didn’t understand the full weight of every game matters and every point matters.”
Hawaii’s All-American setter, Tread Rosenthal, was halfway through his UH career and still only 19 years old when the season began. Fresh off of a summer playing with the USA U21 national team, Rosenthal had already established himself as the unquestioned leader of this group capable of winning it all.
He knew right away it was more about the mental side of volleyball than the physical.
When UH suffered its second January home loss to Loyola Chicago in the last three seasons in the fourth match of the season, Rosenthal was on the court, playing with a back injury that kept him from unleashing his normal serve.
In Hawaii’s loss to UC San Diego on the final road trip of the regular season, Rosenthal was sick to his stomach in the locker room 30 minutes before game time. It kept him from starting the match, but even as sick as he was, he came in for the third set and was there for his team, even in defeat.
He is a true leader by example.
“You’ve got to love the way the guys handled it. Just kind of laughing and smiling after dealing with the cops for two hours.”
Wade’s team peaked in its nonconference schedule with its performance on two road trips that were anything but normal. The team barely made it in time to Pennsylvania, needing more than a day to navigate all of the terrible weather to complete the nearly 5,000-mile journey before rattling off victories over Saint Francis and then Penn State twice.
Two weeks later, one of its vans was broken into the night the team landed in Northern California before prepping to play Stanford for two matches.
Backpacks and suitcases were all missing from the van, which had its windows busted through.
Some of the players’ stuff was found on the side of the road the next day with valuables missing.
Sophomore Kristian Titriyski somehow recovered his passport two days later from his bag that was found in a dumpster after a security guard noticed suspicious activity.
Junior Quintin Greenidge was still waiting for his new passport while in Los Angeles for the NCAA final four to allow him to return home to Canada.
Despite that, Hawaii went out and swept the Cardinal as part of an 11-match winning streak that included wins over Brigham Young in a last-minute home series scheduled after the cancellation of a NIL tournament.
“Sometimes that stuff just happens.”
Rosenthal and the ‘Bows could have gotten rattled by their five-set loss to Long Beach State in the Big West tournament final.
Hawaii had defeated the Beach in back-to-back matches inside of the Pyramid to start conference play and was the No. 1 seed in Irvine, Calif., when Long Beach State freshman opposite Wojciech Gajek had 27 kills and hit .489 in a memorable performance, for both what he did on the court and off the court with the double shakas down celebration.
UH failed to convert five match points in the fourth set and then got down too much early in the fifth set to mount any kind of serious rally.
Hawaii’s fifth loss of the season hurt, but again, just like after the loss to No. 1 UCLA in straight sets in the regular season, the main goal was still highly attainable. All it would take is three more wins.
“I’ve talked about this all season. I think we’re just a more mature team this year.”
Rosenthal was right from the very start. Sitting at the NCAA championship press conference, Rosenthal reflected on Hawaii’s ability to come back from getting absolutely smoked in the opening set against UC Irvine to win in four and claim the third national title for Hawaii in the last six years.
Louis Sakanoko, who was dealing with torn ligaments in his hand, was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.
Titriyski, sitting to the right of Rosenthal, already knew he was turning pro and not coming back, but played through the emotion to lead his team in kills in both matches in Pauley Pavilion.
In the final match of the year, Hawaii hit .410. Every starting hitter finished with a hitting percentage of .323 or more.
The Big West final loss to the Beach was avenged in the semifinal. Hawaii’s dominance over the Anteaters, with its 22nd win in the last 24 meetings, continued.
Hawaii won 30 wins for the first time. Six of those wins were against Long Beach State or UC Irvine and none of those was in the Stan Sheriff Center. UH set the NCAA Tournament record for home attendance with 9,943. It now has as many national championships this decade as every other school combined.
“We’ve built something that is unique (on) the planet,” Wade said.
Yes, indeed.
Continue reading...
