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Hawaii's men's volleyball team faces Long Beach State in the NCAA semifinals today. This marks their return to the tournament after a two-year absence, with many returning starters from last year's team.
LOS ANGELES — Friday’s mid-day practice was the first time inside Pauley Pavilion for nearly the entire Hawaii men’s volleyball team.
The site of today’s NCAA Tournament semifinals had the Rainbow Warriors program bouncing balls off the Teraflex floor for the first time since UH swept Long Beach State to win the second of back-to-back national championships in 2022.
Four years later, Hawaii returns with a roster of no holdovers from that team. After missing the tournament outright two seasons ago, UH made it to this point last year before it was swept by UCLA in Columbus, Ohio.
Five of the seven starters from last year’s loss will be back on the floor tonight, along with Kristian Titriyski, who missed last season’s tournament with an injury.
The circumstances surrounding the ’Bows this season entering the men’s volleyball version of the Final Four are much, much different.
“Last year, we were so young with so many new guys on the roster that I really felt getting into the Final Four and getting into the NCAA Championship was really important,” Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said during Friday’s press conference. “Here we are again with a lot of the same guys and there’s no question that the familiarity with it and just kind of understanding what it takes to navigate this week, there’s a benefit from being here before, for sure.”
Just getting here isn’t the goal for any player on this team. Hawaii (28-5), the No. 2 seed, has a real opportunity to win a third national championship this decade.
The ’Bows are 4-1 against two of the three teams still playing. UH has won both matches against UC Irvine (20-8), which plays No. 4 seed Ball State (26-4) in the first semifinal at 12:30 p.m.
Hawaii, which did not play Ball State this season, then plays No. 3 seed Long Beach State (25-4) in the second semifinal at 3:30 p.m.
UH beat the Beach twice in the regular season before losing in the Big West tournament final two weeks ago in five sets. UH had a 2-1 lead in the match and had five match points in the fourth set before letting LBSU steal the match.
“I’ll just say it’s personal,” junior libero Quintin Greenidge said.
Greenidge and sophomore middle blocker Trevell Jordan are UH’s two newcomers who have entered the starting lineup this season and rounded out one of the best starting groups in the country.
Greenidge earned honorable mention All-America honors after leading the Big West in digs, averaging more than two per set.
Jordan ranks in the top 10 in blocking in the conference and also averages 1.36 kills per set while hitting near .500.
They were UH’s two featured player speakers at Friday’s press conference.
“One of the reasons I picked them to come up here today was to kind of get the full experience,” Wade said. “Couldn’t be more thrilled not just because they are great volleyball players but they are great young men that have represented themselves and the program well all year.”
Hawaii plays Long Beach State today in the NCAA semifinals, but the exact time is not specified.
Hawaii reached the semifinals last year but was swept by UCLA.
Five of the seven starters from last year's team are returning, along with Kristian Titriyski, who missed last season's tournament due to injury.
Hawaii last won the NCAA men's volleyball championship in 2022, when they swept Long Beach State.

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Greenidge said he woke up and walked the UCLA campus for a bit before UH’s 1:50 p.m. scheduled practice.
Jordan played against UCLA twice as a freshman at Grand Canyon, but both matches were in Arizona.
“This is my first time here and it was unreal, as in like you always see it in videos and now being here in person is crazy,” Jordan said. “And then being in the Final Four is even more amazing.”
The rivalry between Hawaii and Long Beach State has included many memorable matches on big stages.
This is the third meeting between the two teams in the NCAA Tournament. The first came when the Beach beat Hawaii in the national final in 2019 after UH had defeated Long Beach State in the final of the Big West tournament.
Hawaii won the national championship three years later with a sweep of the Beach in the final.
The teams have played 11 times in postseason play and the past eight have been in a final in either a conference championship or national championship.
Today’s winner moves on to play in the national final on Monday at 1 p.m.
“When you get to Final Fours, a big thing for everybody, not just us, is settling into the moment as soon as possible, leaning on our training, leaning on our maturity and continuing to come out with the hunger to punch and still go for it and compete and be us,” Long Beach State coach Nick MacRae said. “Both sides will be doing that and it will be a very exciting match.”
Hawaii is making its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2015, trailing only Long Beach State’s nine.
The two schools have combined to win five of the past seven national championships.