HONOLULU — A full roster of talented and mostly healthy players, many of whom have contributed at one stage or another over the last few weeks? Yes please, says Charlie Wade.
As the No. 3 Hawaii men’s volleyball team — up one spot in the AVCA rankings after last weekend’s memorable home split with top-ranked Long Beach State — prepares to take on No. 18 UC Santa Barbara in two road matches to close out the 2025 regular season, Wade and the Rainbow Warriors face an interesting situation.
Whom to trot out there?
Wade professed he “threw the kitchen sink” at the Beach in Saturday’s dramatic five-set win on senior night. It involved employing several different lineups and some players at multiple positions.
Most notably, freshman Finn Kearney saw work at both opposite and hitter. The former U.S. junior national team member registered 17 kills on both Friday and Saturday.
“We’ve been talking about it all year, about how amazing our depth was, and we showed a lot of that,” Kearney, the newly minted Big West Freshman of the Week, said Tuesday. The Phoenix native hit .288 in the two matches with 3.78 kills, 0.67 blocks and 0.67 digs per set.
He was the third different ‘Bow to win a weekly freshman honor this year, after opposite Kristian Titriyski and hitter Adrien Roure. Titriyski has won four and Roure one.
Kearney, a high-pedigree prep player, acknowledged that waiting his turn the last few months has been tough at times. But Saturday’s experience was one heck of a payoff for his patience.
“One of the most special by far,” he said of his career volleyball moments. “I put it at least top three, besides the World Championships (in Argentina). I mean, that was amazing, but that was something different, definitely, that I’ve ever felt and really thankful for the opportunity.”
Titriyski could be available soon for the ‘Bows coming off his ankle injury at Cal State Northridge two weeks ago. And senior hitter Clay Wieter is just about ready for action after missing the LBSU series.
Roure got benched on Saturday, only to come back with some clutch plays in the last two sets, and freshman opposite Kainoa Wade saw action in some big moments.
Wade also has options in the middle as Ofeck Hazan was effective in relief of starters Kurt Nusterer and Justin Todd.
“Well, it’s a good problem to have,” Wade said Tuesday before the team left for the continent. “Certainly want to be at full strength at the end of the year. Kainoa’s emergence, he’s been great at practice and has proven he can step on the court and give a guy a break, or contribute in a positive way. Clay was really good out here yesterday at practice, so looks like we may have him back somewhat close to full strength. Those are all real positive signs for us going forward.”
UH has already guaranteed itself a top-two berth and a first-round bye in the Big West championships at the Stan Sheriff Center next week. If it sweeps the two matches against UCSB (11-14, 2-6) at 4 p.m. Hawaii time Friday and Saturday, it will guarantee itself at minimum a regular-season co-championship.
LBSU faces CSUN in a home-and-home week.
If UH and LBSU finish tied, the Beach has the tiebreaker for the top seed because it took only four sets to beat UH last Friday, whereas UH needed all five sets to win on Saturday.
“It’s big,” Wade said of already having locked up a bye. “I think we’re still in that position where we kind of control our own destiny, still have a chance to win the league at least share, if not win it outright. Getting (a) bye into the semis this time of year … there’s a finite number of jumps in every everybody’s legs, and we’re getting to the end, so there’s a lot less of them.”
Wade is one victory shy of matching Mike Wilton for the program’s wins record. Wade is 315-128 in 16 seasons; Wilton was 316-167 over 17 years.
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