Rainbow Warriors fans rejoice as men’s volleyball team wins 3rd NCAA title

Maybe Craig Hirasaki was the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team’s good luck charm on Monday — from more than 2,500 miles away.

Hirasaki arrived a little late to Murphy’s Bar &Grill in downtown Honolulu to watch all of the Warriors’ national championship match. He was among thousands throughout the

islands who tuned into ESPN in the early afternoon to witness the Rainbow Warriors defeat

UC Irvine in Los Angeles.

Hirasaki missed some of the first set, which UH lost, before the team bounced back to win the next three sets in dominant fashion.

“Hey, if that’s what it takes, OK,” said Hirasaki, who was one of the loudest cheerers among a couple dozen UH fans watching at Murphy’s. “I’m just glad they came back to win it. They had a lot to overcome this season.”

Earlier-arriving friends, including Peter Castillo and Kurt Osaki, laughed at the notion of Hirasaki being the reason for UH’s turnaround.

“We knew it from the beginning of the season,” Castillo said. “We told the players, ‘You’re gonna win it all this year.’”

It was the Warriors’ third

national championship in six years. And it never gets old for the fans, even those who didn’t make the trip to UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.

“Sweeter every time,” said Castillo, who calls himself “head chicken” of Huli-Huli Chicken Company. “As a fan and a UH alum, it gets better every time.”

Ironically, the UCLA

Bruins were one of the few teams this season to beat the Warriors, who finished with the most wins in program history (30-5).

But the same UC Irvine team that UH handled Monday to win the NCAA crown knocked off the top-seeded Bruins in a quarterfinal match May 2. The Anteaters beat Ball State on Saturday to earn their chance at the No. 2 seed Warriors. Hawaii beat USC at home May 2, and then beat rival Long Beach State in Saturday’s semifinal.

Fans at Murphy’s agonized through the first set.

“Oh, my goodness,” fretted one when the Anteaters went up 11-4.

“Smoked, they’re getting smoked,” lamented another when UCI extended its lead to 14-5. Indeed, UH did in that first set, losing 25-15.

But, as coach Charlie Wade said afterward, it’s a good thing the score resets to zero after 25 in volleyball.

The Warriors regrouped and got out to a lead in the second set, and never lost momentum for long.

There were a few anxious moments early in the fourth set, as the Anteaters took a 6-4 lead. But then UH’s Louis Sakanoko took over, with defense, hitting and, especially, serving. His three aces in a row put the Warriors ahead 8-6 in what turned out to be the final set.

Sakanoko was named MVP of the championship tournament. In addition to the season-high three aces, he had 12 kills and made several spectacular defensive plays.

“Louie is such a great team player,” Hirasaki said. “He’s great at everything.”