The Hawaii men's volleyball team is heading back to the national championship, and they made sure to send a message along the way.
After storming the court following a thrilling four-set victory over Long Beach State, the Rainbow Warriors raised their shakas high—pointing up to the sky this time. It was a sweet moment of redemption, coming just two weeks after Long Beach State freshman Wojciech Gajek sparked controversy by flashing a double shaka and pointing downward after the Beach's five-set win in the Big West tournament final.
On Saturday at Pauley Pavilion, No. 2 seed Hawaii got its revenge on the biggest stage in college volleyball, defeating Long Beach State 25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22 to advance to its seventh national final in program history.
Kristian Titriyski delivered the exclamation point, hammering down a match-high 14th kill to seal the win. He was joined in double figures by Louis Sakanoko (12 kills) and Adrien Roure (10 kills), giving the Rainbow Warriors a balanced offensive attack that kept the Beach defense guessing all night.
Perhaps the biggest difference-maker, however, was Justin Todd. After missing the previous meeting with Long Beach State due to injury, Todd returned to post a career-high 10 blocks, anchoring a Hawaii defense that finished the season 3-1 against its conference rival. Long Beach State, which entered the match with just four losses, saw its season end at 25-5.
The celebration afterward was anything but subtle. Players and even coaches flashed the shaka toward the Beach bench and the crowd—a classy but pointed response to Gajek's earlier gesture.
"I think everyone took it a little personally," Sakanoko admitted. "That was a little way to send it back in a classy way."
The match followed a familiar script: Hawaii took the first and third sets, while Long Beach State answered in the second. But this time, the Rainbow Warriors showed they had learned from their earlier heartbreak.
In the Big West final, Hawaii squandered five match points in the fourth set. On Saturday, they trailed 18-14 in the fourth before closing on an 11-4 run. Sakanoko, Kainoa Wade, and Roure each delivered crucial serving runs of at least two points, flipping the momentum when it mattered most.
"One of the mantras that we have is good turns late," Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. "Guys going back to the service line when there is a lot on the line... guys just kind of embraced this moment in being able to deliver when it counts."
Long Beach State's struggles from the service line proved costly, as the Beach committed 18 service errors—including one from Gajek, who finished with 11 kills but nine errors and a .071 hitting percentage. Sakanoko, despite six service errors of his own, delivered a clutch ace that set up a Roure kill and forced a Beach timeout. He followed with another strong serve that led to a Trevell Jordan kill, pulling Hawaii within one and setting the stage for the comeback.
Hawaii (29-5) now turns its attention to Monday's national championship match against UC Irvine at 1 p.m. The Rainbow Warriors are 7-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament semifinals and will look to add another banner to a program already rich with tradition.