LOS ANGELES — The familiar squeak of sneakers on the Teraflex floor of Pauley Pavilion echoed through the arena Friday afternoon as the Hawaii men's volleyball team took the court for practice. For nearly every player in a Rainbow Warriors uniform, it was their first time inside the legendary venue—a place that holds special meaning for the program.
This is the same court where Hawaii swept Long Beach State in 2022 to capture its second consecutive national championship. Four years later, the Rainbow Warriors are back, but this is an entirely new squad. Not a single player remains from that title-winning team.
After missing the NCAA Tournament entirely two seasons ago, Hawaii fought its way back to this stage last year before being swept by UCLA in Columbus, Ohio. Now, five of the seven starters from that loss return, along with Kristian Titriyski, who missed last year's tournament due to injury.
The circumstances surrounding this year's team entering the men's volleyball Final Four are dramatically different.
"Last year, we were so young with so many new guys on the roster that I really felt getting into the Final Four and getting into the NCAA Championship was really important," Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said during Friday's press conference. "Here we are again with a lot of the same guys and there's no question that the familiarity with it and just kind of understanding what it takes to navigate this week, there's a benefit from being here before, for sure."
For this team, simply making it to the tournament isn't enough. The No. 2 seed Rainbow Warriors (28-5) have a legitimate shot at winning a third national championship this decade.
Hawaii's path to the title runs through familiar opponents. The 'Bows are 4-1 against two of the three remaining teams. They've swept both matches this season against UC Irvine (20-8), who faces No. 4 seed Ball State (26-4) in the first semifinal at 12:30 p.m. Hawaii didn't play Ball State this season.
In the second semifinal at 3:30 p.m., Hawaii faces No. 3 seed Long Beach State (25-4)—a team they know all too well. The Rainbow Warriors beat the Beach twice in the regular season before falling in five sets in the Big West tournament final two weeks ago. Hawaii held a 2-1 lead and had five match points in the fourth set before Long Beach State mounted a stunning comeback.
"I'll just say it's personal," junior libero Quintin Greenidge said.
Greenidge and sophomore middle blocker Trevell Jordan are the two newcomers who have stepped into starting roles this season, rounding out one of the nation's most formidable lineups. Greenidge earned honorable mention All-America honors after leading the Big West in digs, averaging more than two per set. Jordan ranks in the top 10 in blocking in the conference and averages 1.36 kills per set while hitting near .500.
The two were Hawaii's featured player speakers at Friday's press conference, representing a program that has rebuilt itself with remarkable speed. "One of the reasons I picked them to come up here," Wade said, "is because they embody what this team is about."