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On a night that showcased both the sport’s growth and one program’s sustained excellence, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa men’s volleyball team stormed back from a lopsided opening set to defeat UC Irvine 3–1 and secure the 2026 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Playing on May 11, 2026, the Rainbow Warriors dropped the first set 25–15 before responding with three straight wins, 25–18, 25–18 and 25–20. The result delivered the program’s third NCAA national title, its first since 2022, and capped a 30–5 season that stands as the most wins in team history, according to conference records and national coverage from outlets including The Washington Post and the Big West Conference.
The victory also extended Hawaiʻi’s run as one of the defining powers of the decade in men’s college volleyball. The Rainbow Warriors, the flagship Division I program within the University of Hawaiʻi system, have now claimed NCAA titles in 2021, 2022 and 2026, reached five of the last eight national championship matches, and finished runner-up twice in that span.
The match began inauspiciously for Hawaiʻi. UC Irvine, chasing its first NCAA title since 2013, jumped on the Rainbow Warriors with suffocating defense and a blistering attack in the opening frame.
The Anteaters recorded seven team blocks in the first set alone and hit .562, racing to early cushions of 7–2 and 16–5. Middle blocker Trevor Clark, Big West freshman of the year Andrej Jokanovic, and middle Micah Goss controlled the net, turning back multiple Hawaiʻi swings and denying the Rainbow Warriors any rhythm.
Hawaiʻi’s attack sputtered to just .167 hitting in that initial set, a stark contrast to the efficiency that would define the rest of the night. UC Irvine closed out a commanding 25–15 win to seize early momentum and put the burden squarely on the defending Big West regular-season champions to respond.
The Rainbow Warriors’ response in the second set showcased why head coach Charlie Wade’s group has become synonymous with resilience. Hawaiʻi cleaned up its serve-receive, steadied its passing, and leaned on a far more balanced offense.
Behind improved ball control, Hawaiʻi’s hitting percentage soared to .452 in the frame. Outside hitter Kristian Titriyski spearheaded the attack with six kills on nine error-free swings, while Big West player of the year and setter Tread Rosenthal orchestrated the offense masterfully, distributing 12 assists and contributing at the net.
Once Hawaiʻi surged ahead 11–5, UC Irvine never drew closer than four points. The Rainbow Warriors kept the Anteaters at arm’s length and closed the set 25–18 on another Titriyski kill, leveling the match at one set apiece and resetting the pressure on both sides.
The third set was the turning point. Up to the midpoint of the frame, the teams traded points in a tight, back-and-forth battle that featured nine ties and two lead changes. Coming out of a timeout, a Clark kill and a Jokanovic ace pulled UC Irvine even at 11–11.
From there, Hawaiʻi delivered the decisive surge of the night. Championship most outstanding player Louis Sakanoko and opposite hitter Adrien Roure combined for four straight points, including an ace from Roure, to carve out a 15–11 cushion.
That 4–0 run shifted both the scoreboard and the emotional tenor of the match. Hawaiʻi maintained control the rest of the way, again closing out a 25–18 win. With a 2–1 lead in sets and the offense now humming, the Rainbow Warriors walked into the fourth frame with clear momentum and the confidence of a veteran group that had been on this stage before.
UC Irvine did not fold. The Anteaters briefly reclaimed a 5–3 advantage early in the fourth set, hinting at a possible push to force a decisive fifth.
Sakanoko, playing through physical challenges throughout the postseason, provided the match’s final and most dramatic twist. An aggressive serving run from the eventual tournament MVP produced three consecutive aces, flipping the frame into an 8–6 Hawaiʻi lead and igniting the green-and-white contingent inside Pauley Pavilion.
UC Irvine continued to battle, fighting back to an 11–11 tie and later trimming the deficit to 18–17. But Hawaiʻi’s offense was nearly flawless down the stretch, repeatedly siding out under pressure.
The Rainbow Warriors hit .538 in the fourth set with just two attack errors, showcasing elite efficiency when it mattered most. Fittingly, the clinching point came on Titriyski’s 16th kill, the match-high total, sealing the 25–20 win and sparking celebrations both in Los Angeles and 2,500 miles away in Honolulu.
Over four sets, Hawaiʻi’s depth and offensive balance gradually overwhelmed UC Irvine’s formidable block. Match statistics from both schools and conference reports highlighted how comprehensive the Rainbow Warriors’ performance became after the shaky start.
Individually, several Rainbow Warriors delivered standout performances:
For UC Irvine, Jokanovic capped a standout freshman campaign with 13 kills. Clark added six kills and six blocks, and Goss anchored the middle as the Anteaters tried to slow Hawaiʻi’s expanding arsenal of attackers.
The 3–1 victory did more than add another banner to the rafters. It punctuated a historic year for a program and fan base that have become synonymous with high-level men’s volleyball.
Hawaiʻi finished the 2026 season at 30–5, the first 30-win campaign in program history. The championship marked the Rainbow Warriors’ third NCAA title and their third in a six-season window, following crowns in 2021 and 2022 and runner-up finishes in other recent years.
According to Big West records, Hawaiʻi has now appeared in five of the last eight national championship matches. That level of consistency is rare in any college sport and speaks to the stability of the program, the draw of Honolulu as a volleyball hotbed, and the strong connection between the team and the state.
For athletes and families exploring men’s volleyball at the college level, the sustained success of programs like Hawaiʻi at Mānoa can be instructive. Top-tier teams often combine strong local support, stable coaching staffs, and a clear identity on the court, all elements that prospective recruits should weigh when building college lists.
The 2026 final highlighted more than just Hawaiʻi’s dominance. It was also an all-Big West showdown that reflected the conference’s growing stranglehold on men’s volleyball at the national level.
According to the Big West, the league has now placed at least one team in the NCAA championship match for eight consecutive seasons. The 2026 event, featuring Hawaiʻi and UC Irvine, extended that streak and further cemented the conference’s reputation as one of the premier homes for the sport.
The championship also unfolded within a new postseason format. The 2026 NCAA men’s volleyball tournament was the first to feature a 12-team field, an expansion designed to better reflect the sport’s growth and the depth of quality programs across the country.
The expanded bracket allowed both Hawaiʻi and UC Irvine to enter as at-large selections alongside automatic qualifiers. Hawaiʻi claimed the No. 2 overall seed after winning the Big West regular-season title but falling to Long Beach State in the conference tournament final. UC Irvine, riding momentum and a seasoned core, navigated the bracket to reach its fifth national championship match and first since 2013.
Hawaiʻi’s path to the trophy showcased both the intensity of Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center and the program’s ability to adjust quickly in high-stakes settings.
In the quarterfinals, the Rainbow Warriors leveraged home-court advantage in Honolulu, defeating Southern California in four sets before a sellout crowd of more than 10,000 fans. The atmosphere reflected the island’s deep connection to the team and foreshadowed the wave of support that would follow their run to the title.
Once the tournament shifted to Los Angeles and the iconic Pauley Pavilion, Hawaiʻi avenged its Big West championship loss by eliminating defending national champion and No. 3 seed Long Beach State in the national semifinals. That win set up the all-Big West final with UC Irvine and positioned the Rainbow Warriors for another shot at history.
UC Irvine, a four-time national champion prior to 2026, authored its own impressive postseason story. The Anteaters took down Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association champion and No. 4 seed Ball State 3–1 in the semifinals, punching their ticket to a fifth national championship match and first appearance on that stage since 2013.
UC Irvine’s history of titles in 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013, combined with the emergence of talents like Jokanovic and the leadership of its upperclassmen, underscored the high level of competition Hawaiʻi faced in the final.
Back in Hawaiʻi, the 2026 national championship resonated far beyond the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus. Local coverage emphasized that the Rainbow Warriors’ third NCAA title of the decade came at the same venue where they had last celebrated in 2022, casting Pauley Pavilion as a kind of second home for the program.
Head coach Charlie Wade and his players spoke frequently about maturity and resilience throughout the tournament. Rosenthal noted postgame that this group had learned to stay composed after rough starts, while Sakanoko, battling through physical challenges, talked about doing whatever was necessary to stay on the court and support his teammates.
Two days after the championship, the school and state celebrated together at Stan Sheriff Center. Governor Josh Green, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, university president Wendy Hensel and athletics director Matt Elliott all addressed a packed arena, praising the squad for lifting the spirits of Hawaiʻi residents and reinforcing the idea that the Rainbow Warriors truly represent the entire state.
Players including Sakanoko and Rosenthal thanked fans for their unwavering support and pointed openly toward future goals, talking about aspirations to chase yet another banner. In that way, the 2026 title was both a culmination of years of work and a starting point for the next era of Hawaiʻi volleyball.
For high school and club volleyball players considering a program like Hawaiʻi, the 2026 championship offers a living blueprint of what a high-performance, high-visibility environment can look like.
Several takeaways from the Rainbow Warriors’ run can help recruits and families think more strategically about fit:
If you are considering Hawaiʻi or other volleyball programs, tools like Pathley’s College Directory and dedicated Volleyball Pathley Hub can help you compare options, understand conference landscapes and begin building a realistic target school list.
Honolulu is home to more than one collegiate volleyball destination. While Hawaiʻi’s men’s volleyball program grabs national headlines, recruits interested in the city and the islands more broadly may also want to explore:
Exploring multiple campuses in the same region can help prospects compare size, culture, academics and competition levels before making a decision.
Whether you dream of playing in front of 10,000 fans in a place like Honolulu, chasing a national title, or finding a smaller program where you can grow into a key contributor, the recruiting process can be complex. Having data, structure and guidance can make it far easier.
Pathley offers several tools designed for athletes, parents and coaches:
As stories like Hawaiʻi’s 2026 national championship show, the right match between athlete and program can unlock not only wins and banners, but also community, growth and lifelong connections. If you are ready to start mapping out your own path, you can explore colleges, analyze teams and begin narrowing your options with the help of Pathley’s tools.
