“We made some mistakes that kept that first set close.”
Hawaii head coach Charlie Wade didn’t sugarcoat his words following Wednesday night’s match. Once his Rainbow Warriors settled in, however, they showed Saint Francis fans why they are currently ranked No. 3 in the nation.
Hawaii defeated SFU 25-23, 25-14, 25-10, using sustained serving pressure and a disciplined defense to turn a tightly contested opening set into a straight-sets victory. The win improved the Rainbow Warriors to 7-1, while the Red Flash fell to 2-3.
Saint Francis came out energized in front of a lively home crowd and matched Hawaii point-for-point in the opening set. The teams traded sideouts throughout the frame, with neither team leading by more than a three points until late in the set.
“We were ready to go,” said senior middle blocker Sam Lane, who had three block assists. “There was a lot of energy in the gym.”
The Red Flash briefly grabbed momentum late in the first set. Head coach Mike Rumbaugh’s team scored four straight points to go up 20-17 and Hawaii called a timeout.
Service pressure from the Rainbow Warriors and a handful of SFU errors swung the set back in Hawaii’s favor. The No.3 team in the country closed the frame on an 8-3 run to win, 25-23.
“They (Hawaii) have been in those moments before,” said Rumbaugh. “They played through it. I think our guys started thinking, ‘we’re so close,’ instead of just continuing to play.”
Once Hawaii secured the opening set, the tone of the match shifted. The Rainbow Warriors began to control the service line, limiting SFU’s ability to run a quick offense through the middle.
“When we serve inbounds at close to 90 percent, we win every time,” Wade said. “Serving starts your defense.”
Hawaii served inbounds at nearly 88 percent on the night, a number that Wade said allowed his team to simplify its defensive approach against SFU’s fast-paced offense.
With Hawaii setter Tread Rosenthal efficiently controlling the offense in the second set, Hawaii pulled away early and cruised to a 25-14 win.
UH opposite hitter Kainoa Wade – the Hawaii head coach’s son – credited his team’s preparation as the reason his team was able to reverse course and dominate sets two and three.
“We knew they were really quick out to the pins,” said Wade, who finished the match with 14 kills and nine digs. “So it was about being disciplined, getting touches, and converting in transition.”
Saint Francis struggled in serve receive as the match progressed.
“Their size was a big challenge,” said senior outside hitter Cole Dorn, who led SFU with seven kills.
Rumbaugh said those passing issues limited his team offensively in the final two sets.
“When we weren’t passing well, it took our middle out. That makes it tough against a team like that.”
Hawaii closed the match with a 25-10 victory in the third set, quieting a crowd that had created a postseason-like atmosphere during set one.
Wade said his team has grown accustomed to drawing large crowds on the road.
“Wherever we go, it’s usually the biggest crowd of the year,” Wade said. “We embrace it.”
Despite the loss, Rumbaugh viewed the match as a valuable measuring stick for his team.
“When we play well, we can hang with the big boys,” Rumbaugh said. “Now it’s about doing it consistently.”
Saint Francis will host Roberts Wesleyan for two matches this weekend (Jan. 30 and 31).
Hawaii will also play on Friday and Saturday, traveling to Penn State for a pair of matches against the Nittany Lions.
