2026 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors volleyball team

2026 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors volleyball
ConferenceBig West Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
Record19–3 (2–0 Big West)
Head coach
Associate head coachKupono Fey (4th season)
Assistant coachChad Giesseman (3rd season)
Home stadiumStan Sheriff Center

The 2026 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors men's volleyball team is the varsity intercollegiate volleyball program of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (UH). The team's home venue is Stan Sheriff Center located on campus in Honolulu, Hawaii. The University of Hawaii at Mānoa has been a member of the Big West Conference since the 2017–18 season, when the league began sponsoring the sport.[1] Hawaii began the season ranked second in the nation.[2] This year is also the first year that twelve teams will have a chance to play in the NCAA men's volleyball tournament, as the NCAA expanded the tournament to accommodate the sport's growth.[3]

2026 Big West Conference men's volleyball standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 2 Hawaii ‍‍‍ 2 – 0   1.000 19 – 3   .864
No. 13 UC San Diego ‍‍‍ 2 – 1   .667 11 – 7   .611
No. 8 UC Santa Barbara ‍‍‍ 2 – 1   .667 10 – 7   .588
No. 5 UC Irvine ‍‍‍ 1 – 1   .500 13 – 3   .813
No. 3 Long Beach State ‍‍‍ 0 – 2   .000 14 – 4   .778
No. 18 Cal State Northridge ‍‍‍ 0 – 2   .000 12 – 6   .667
† – Conference champion
‡ – Big West tournament champion
y – Invited to the NCAA tournament
As of March 23, 2026
Rankings from AVCA

Previous season

Last season, the University of Hawaii finished with a 27–6 record, going 7–3 in the Big West, and finishing second in the conference. They received the Big West's automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA men's volleyball tournament, beating UC Irvine and Long Beach State to win the 2025 Big West tournament.[4] Hawaii finished the season ranked third in the nation following the NCAA tournament's conclusion, where they fell in the semifinals to UCLA.[5][6]

Preseason

Source:[7]

Both the preseason All-Big West team, and the Big West Coaches' Poll were released on December 29, 2025. Hawaii was picked to finish second, and had three players make the preseason team.

Big West Coaches' Poll

Coaches' Poll
Pos. Team Points
1 Long Beach State 24 (4)
2 Hawai'i 22 (2)
3 UC Irvine 17
T-4 CSUN 9
UC San Diego
UC Santa Barbara
Preseason All-Big West Team
Player No. Position Class
Tread Rosenthal 13 Setter Junior
Adrien Roure 7 Opposite Hitter Sophomore
Kristian Titriyski 10 Opposite Hitter Junior

Roster

Source:[8]

2026 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Roster
 

Libero/Defensive Specialists

  • 6 Matthew Wheels - RS Freshman
  • 22 Quintin Greenidge - Junior

Middle Blockers

  • 2 Roman Payne - Freshman
  • 16 Ofeck Hazan – Sophomore
  • 19 Alex Parks - RS Junior
  • 20 Trevell Jordan – Sophomore
   Outside Hitters
  • 7 Adrien Roure – Sophomore
  • 9 Justin Todd – RS Sophomore (also listed as an middle blocker)
  • 11 Finn Kearney - Sophomore (also listed as an opposite hitter)
  • 12 Mitchell Croft - Sophomore (also listed as an opposite hitter)
  • 15 Kai Taylor - RS Junior (also listed as an libero)
  • 17 Thatcher Fahlbusch - Freshman
  • 23 Louis Sakanoko - Junior (also listed as an opposite hitter)
   Opposite Hitters
  • 4 Kainoa Wade – Sophomore
  • 10 Kristian Titriyski – Sophomore

Setters

  • 1 Victor Lowe - Sophomore
  • 3 Vladimir Kubr - Freshman
  • 8 Magnus Hettervik - Freshman
  • 13 Tread Rosenthal - Junior

Coaches

2026 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Coaching Staff
  • Charlie Wade – head coach – 17th year
  • Kupono Fey – associate head coach – 4th year
  • Chad Giesseman – assistant coach – 3rd year
  • Donan Cruz – assistant coach – 1st year

Schedule

Source:[9]

Date
Time 		TV/Radio Opponent Rank Stadium Score Sets Attendance Overall BWC
Regular Season Matches
Jan. 2

7 p.m.

SPEC NJIT #2 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

 W, 3-0 [10] 25-11

25–16 25–14

6721 1-0 —
Jan 4

5 p.m.

SPEC NJIT #2 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

 W, 3-0 [11] 25-17

25–16 25–17

5952 2-0 —
Jan 8

7 p.m.

SPEC Loyola Chicago #2 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

 W, 3-0 [12] 25-18

25–19 25–15

5804 3-0 —
Jan 9

7 p.m.

SPEC Loyola Chicago #2 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

L, 1-3 [13] 23-25

22–25 26–24 27–29

6671 3-1 —
Jan. 14

11 a.m.

ESPN Honolulu Roberts Wesleyan #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-0 [14] 25-21

25–17 25–16

5523 4-1 —
Jan. 14

7 p.m.

SPEC Rockhurst #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-1 [14] 25-21

25–19 23–25 25–13

5523 5-1 —
Jan. 16

11 a.m.

ESPN Honolulu Rockhurst #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-0 [15] 25-19

25–9 25–15

— 6-1 —
Jan 16

7 p.m.

SPEC Roberts Wesleyan #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-0 [15] 25-22

25–22 25–20

6962 7-1 —
Jan 28

2 p.m.

NEC Sports Network @ Saint Francis (PA) #3 DeGol Arena

Loretto, PA

W, 3-0 [16] 25-23

25–14 25–10

528 8-1 —
Jan 30

1 p.m.

B1G+ @ Penn State #3 Rec Hall

State College, PA

W, 3-0 [17] 25-22

25–23 25–15

825 9-1 —
Jan 31

12 p.m.

B1G+ @ Penn State #3 Rec Hall

State College, PA

W, 3-1 [18] 25-27

25–10 25–15 38–36

792 10-1 —
Feb 13

4 p.m.

B1G+ @ Stanford #3 Maples Pavilion

Stanford, CA

W, 3-0 [19] 25-16

25–15 25–17

1355 11-1 —
Feb 14

4 p.m.

B1G+ @ Stanford #3 Maples Pavilion

Stanford, CA

W, 3-0 [20] 25-17

25–16 25–13

1560 12-1 —
UH-BYU Rivalry Series presented by OUTRIGGER (NIL Tournament)
Feb 25

7 p.m.

SPEC BYU #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-1 [21] 27-25

23–25 25–17 25–18

5568 13-1 —
Feb 27

7 p.m.

SPEC BYU #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-0 [22] 25-18

25–21 25–16

6989 14-1 —
Mar. 4

7 p.m.

SPEC Pepperdine #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

L, 1-3 [23] 26-28

22-25 25-15 28-30

6790 14-2 —
Mar 6 7 p.m. SPEC Pepperdine #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-1 [24] 25-22

21-25 25-15 36-34

8440 15-2 —
OUTRIGGER Invitational
Mar. 12

7 p.m.

SPEC Mount Olive #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-0 [25] 25-18

25-19 25-17

5897 16-2 —
Mar. 14

7 p.m.

SPEC UCLA #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

L, 0-3 [26] 18-25

20-25 28-30

10300 16-3 —
Mar 15

5 p.m.

(Rescheduled)

SPEC Lewis #3 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

W, 3-1 [27] 21-25

25-22 25-20 25-21

6101 17-3 —
Big West Conference Play
Mar. 20

4 p.m.

ESPN+ @ Long Beach State #3 Walter Pyramid

Long Beach, CA

W, 3-2 [28] 26-24

23-25 25-19 20-25 15-12

3680 18-3 1-0
Mar. 21

4 p.m.

ESPN+ @ Long Beach State #3 Walter Pyramid

Long Beach, CA

W, 3-0 [29] 25-18

25-22 25-20

3723 19-3 2-0
Mar 27

7 p.m.

SPEC UC Santa Barbara #2 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

-
Mar. 28

7 p.m.

SPEC UC Santa Barbara #2 Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

-
Apr. 3

3 p.m.

ESPN+ @ UC Irvine # Bren Events Center

Irvine, CA

-
Apr. 4

3 p.m.

ESPN+ @ UC Irvine # Bren Events Center

Irvine, CA

-
Apr. 10

4 p.m.

ESPN+ @ UC San Diego # LionTree Arena

La Jolla, CA

-
Apr 11

4 p.m.

ESPN+ @ UC San Diego # LionTree Arens

La Jolla, CA

-
Apr. 17

7 p.m.

SPEC CSUN # Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

-
Apr.18

7 p.m.

SPEC CSUN # Stan Sheriff Center

Honolulu, HI

-
OUTRIGGER Big West Championship presented by the Hawaiian Islands

Rankings

Source:[30]

Weeks
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Final
AVCA 2 T-3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2

References

  1. ^ vinnielopes (June 1, 2016). "Big West conference to add men's volleyball starting in 2018 - Off the Block". www.offtheblockblog.com. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  2. ^ "Check out the latest polls for NCAA & high school volleyball". AVCA. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  3. ^ "National Collegiate MVB Championship Expanding to 12 Teams". AVCA. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  4. ^ "The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men's Volleyball Championship - The Big West". bigwest.org. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  5. ^ "Check out the latest polls for NCAA & high school volleyball". AVCA. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  6. ^ Hull, Billy (May 11, 2025). "UCLA ends Hawaii's season in NCAA men's volleyball semifinals". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  7. ^ "Defending National Champion Long Beach State Picked to Win Conference Crown in Big West Preseason Polling". bigwest.org. December 29, 2025. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  8. ^ "2026 Men's Volleyball Roster". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
  9. ^ "2026 Men's Volleyball Schedule". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
  10. ^ "Men's Volleyball Sweeps NJIT In Season Opener". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 2, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  11. ^ "Men's Volleyball Completes Sweep of NJIT". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 4, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  12. ^ "Men's Volleyball Sweeps Loyola Chicago In Series Opener". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 8, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  13. ^ "Men's Volleyball Drops Rematch With Loyola Chicago In Four Sets". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 9, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  14. ^ a b "Men's Volleyball Completes Doubleheader Sweep". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 14, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  15. ^ a b "Men's Volleyball Sweeps Double Dip With Rockhurst, Roberts Wesleyan". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 16, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  16. ^ "Men's Volleyball Begins Trip with Sweep of Saint Francis". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 28, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  17. ^ "Men's Volleyball Sweeps Penn State In Return To State College". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 30, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  18. ^ "Men's Volleyball Takes Rematch With Penn State, Marathon Fourth Set". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. January 31, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  19. ^ "Men's Volleyball Overpowers Stanford In Straight Sets". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. February 13, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  20. ^ "Men's Volleyball Completes Dominant Series Sweep of Stanford". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. February 14, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  21. ^ "Men's Volleyball Downs BYU In Series Opener". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. February 25, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  22. ^ "Men's Volleyball Sweeps BYU In Series Rematch". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. February 27, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  23. ^ "Men's Volleyball Falls To Pepperdine; Win Streaks Snapped". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 4, 2026. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  24. ^ "Men's Volleyball Wins Thriller Over Pepperdine To Split Series". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 6, 2026. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  25. ^ "Men's Volleyball Sweeps Mount Olive to Open Outrigger Invite". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 12, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  26. ^ "No. 1 UCLA Outlasts Hawai'i in Front of Sold-Out Bankoh Arena". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 14, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  27. ^ "Men's Volleyball Concludes OUTRIGGER Invite With Win Over Lewis". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 14, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  28. ^ "Men's Volleyball Ends Pyramid Curse in Five-Set Thriller". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 20, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  29. ^ "Men's Volleyball Completes Series Sweep of No. 2 Long Beach State". University of Hawai'i at Manoa Athletics. March 21, 2026. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  30. ^ "Check out the latest polls for NCAA & high school volleyball". avca.org. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.