Hawaii’s Louis Sakanoko and Tread Rosenthal are AVCA first team All-Americans

Hawaii’s Louis Sakanoko will have time to celebrate his latest individual volleyball award after the NCAA Championships this weekend.

The 6-foot-5 junior outside hitter was named to the AVCA All-America first team for the first time in his career on Wednesday.

Junior setter Tread Rosenthal, who is among four finalists for the AVCA Men’s Collegiate Player of the Year award, also earned first-team honors and is a repeat selection to the team.

Sakanoko earned his first nod after putting together easily the best season of his career.

“It feels good for sure,” Sakanoko said Wednesday morning. “It’s a lot of work every day since fall, so it definitely feels good, but at the same time, it’s the moment of the year where we’re more focused on what we’re going to do Saturday and how we’re going to do it than any individual trophy that we could have.”

Hawaii (28-5) departed for Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon to prepare for Saturday’s NCAA national semifinal showdown with rival Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion at 3:30 p.m.

The winner will play in Monday’s national championship at 1 p.m. against the winner of Ball State vs. UC Irvine.

The Rainbow Warriors had five players recognized by the AVCA on Wednesday.

Sophomore Adrien Roure was named to the AVCA All-America second team as an outside hitter after making the first team last year. Junior libero Quintin Greenidge and sophomore middle blocker Justin Todd earned honorable mention.

Rosenthal ranks second in the nation in assists per set at 10.75 and has guided the UH offense to a .366 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the country.

Rosenthal has made the All-Big West first team all three seasons he has played at UH and was named the conference Setter of the Week 11 times this year.

Sakanoko, third in the Big West with 343 total kills, is the only BWC player in the top five in total kills hitting over .300. His 351 clip ranks fourth in the conference. He is also one of seven Big West players averaging more than three kills per set at 3.18.

“I know that I am someone who has some talent, of course, or I would not be here,” Sakanoko said. “But it’s a raw talent and I know I needed to work to make everything happen the way I wanted it to happen and the whole season has been good because we’ve been winning. It’s the final recognition for an individual at the end of the season, but at the same time, if we lose Saturday, it will not mean anything to anyone.”

Roure is eighth in the conference averaging 2.91 kills per set and ninth in hitting at a .319 clip. He is also fourth in the Big West with 43 aces.

Greenidge has started 31 matches and leads the Big West with 2.07 digs per set. Todd, who has started 30 matches at middle blocker, averages 1.06 blocks and 1.26 kills per set while hitting .421.

Todd practiced as an outside hitter before moving back to the middle position a week before the season started.