The second-ranked Hawaii men's volleyball team is on the cusp of a remarkable regular-season achievement: a perfect road record. The Rainbow Warriors take their 9-0 away record to La Jolla, California, for a two-match series against No. 13 UC San Diego today and Saturday at LionTree Arena.
Beyond the quest for road perfection, these matches carry major Big West implications. Hawaii (23-3, 6-0 Big West) can clinch the No. 1 seed for the upcoming conference tournament with two wins over the Tritons (11-11, 2-5) or with one win combined with a loss by second-place Long Beach State.
Hawaii's dominance has been built on its road prowess, a key factor separating them in a tough conference. They've already secured two road wins each at UC Irvine and Long Beach State this season—a first for the program in the Big West era. Six of their nine road victories have been commanding sweeps.
For Coach Charlie Wade, the focus extends beyond the 9-0 road mark to an even rarer feat: a perfect 10-0 conference season. "We've put ourselves in a good position to win the league outright," Wade said. "Going 10-0 in the league is something we're now close to. It has only happened twice."
He's referencing Hawaii's 2021 season and Long Beach State's 2019 campaign. Interestingly, neither team won the Big West tournament, but both went on to claim the national championship. Hawaii's current nine-match road winning streak is the fourth-longest in school history, highlighting the team's resilience and focus away from home.
History adds an intriguing layer to this weekend's clash. In 2021, UC San Diego upset Hawaii in the Big West semifinals—a loss that seemed to galvanize the Rainbow Warriors, who didn't drop another set en route to the first of back-to-back national titles. If the Tritons are to spring another surprise, history suggests it's more likely in tonight's series opener, where Hawaii has dropped five sets in three conference Friday matches this year. The Saturday rematches, however, have been one-sided sweeps in favor of UH.
"We've got guys that have played a lot of volleyball and they are students of the game," Wade noted, emphasizing the team's ability to adjust. "Little bits of adjustments tend to have a little more of an impact." As they chase history on the road, that adaptability will be tested once more in La Jolla.