Match Stats
- #4 Hawaii def. #14 USC 3-0, (25-20, 25-23, 25-23)
- Hawaii improves to 17-2, 8-2 MPSF
- USC falls to 6-11, 5-9 MPSF
- Hosted by Hawaii
- Match results
#4 Hawaii takes down #14 USC in a three set match up to extend their winning streak to 12 matches. With the win, they have also pushed their consecutive sets win streak to 23, breaking the 1998 squads record of 21.
In the first set, Hawaii jumped to a 10-5 lead over the Trojans and later extended their lead to 21-16. USC couldn’t catch back up, dropping the first 25-20. The second started much the same as the first, with Hawaii leaping to a 9-5 lead. Late in the set, Hawaii led 23-18, but a 4-0 run by USC brought them within one at 23-22. The Trojans weren’t able to keep the run alive ending the second 25-23.
The third set was closer, but the Trojans had committed eight hitting errors midway through the set as Hawaii led 15-11. They were able to extend their lead to 20-14, but USC made another last minute 7-2 run to bring the third within one point at 22-21. The Trojans once again couldn’t hang, dropping the match in three 25-23.
Hawaii was led by Stijn van Tilburg with 17 kills while Brett Rosenmeier and Kupono Fey each added 10. In the back court, Larry Tuileta picked up a match-best 11 digs.
For USC, Lucas Yoder put down 11 kills, two aces and six digs. Back in the line-up for the Trojans is Brazilian mid-season transfer Gianluca Grasso who put down 10 kills.
Press Release
Courtesy of Hawaii Athletics
The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team extended its win streak to 12 matches with a straight-set win over No. 14 USC Thursday in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match-up at the Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-20, 25-23, 25-23.
The fourth-ranked Rainbow Warriors (17-2, 8-2 MPSF) also pushed their consecutive sets win streak to 23, the most since the 1998 squad won 21 straight. In addition, UH was victorious for the 16th straight time at home and won its eighth consecutive league match.
The teams play again Friday in a non-league contest at 7 p.m.
UH was led by sophomore opposite Stijn van Tilburg, who earlier in the evening finished runner-up as the Off the Block’s National Player of the Month for February. The Amsterdam, Netherlands native posted a team-high 17 kills, hitting .533.
Outside hitter Brett Rosenmeier added 10 kills, hitting .368 while outside hitter Kupono Fey continued his recent surge with 10 kills and six digs. Former Trojan Larry Tuileta totaled 11 digs and middles Hendrik Mol (5) and Patrick Gasman (4) combined for nine kills.
UH, the nation’s blocking leader, totaled four blocks and hit .407 for the match.
USC (6-10, 5-8) was led by the nation’s kill leader outside hitter Lucas Yoder, who finished with 11 kills but hit only .172.
Heading into the match, only three of the teams’ 15 match-ups since 2010 were decided in straight sets.
In Set 1, UH got off to a quick start, leading 10-5 after scoring four unanswered points. The Trojans got within two at 14-12 before the Warriors extended their lead back to five at 21-16 with a 5-2 run that included a pair of kills each by Fey and van Tilburg. The duo finished the set with five kills a piece as Hawai’i hit .500.
UH surged ahead 9-5 in Set 2 following consecutive kills by Gasman. USC closed to within two but kills by Rosenmeier and Fey put Hawai’i back ahead 19-15. The Warriors led 23-18 before Yoder’s serving pulled the Trojans to within one at 23-22. Van Tilburg’s 12th kill gave UH set point and Rosenmeier ended it with a blast down the line.
Midway through Set 3, the Trojans had eight hitting errors as the Warriors built a 15-11 lead. The lead was 20-14 after a Gasman-Rosenmeier double block, UH’s fourth of the set, before the Trojans rallied to within one at 22-21 with a 7-2 run. But the Warriors sided-out to end the match and with consecutive kills by van Tilburg for their seventh consecutive straight-set victory.
Press Release
Courtesy of USC Athletics
Stijn van Tilburg had 17 kills while hitting .533 to lead the No. 4-ranked Hawaii men’s volleyball team to a 25-20, 25-23, 25-23 sweep over No. 14 USC in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match on Thursday (March 2) in Honolulu.
Hawaii won its 12th consecutive match and its 15th straight at home to improve to 17-2 overall and 8-2 in the MPSF. With the sweep, the Rainbow Warriors have won their past 23 sets and are off to their best start since 1996. The Trojans fell to 6-11 overall and 5-9 in the MPSF.
The teams meet again on Friday (March 3) at 7 p.m. HT in Honolulu, but that match will be played as a non-conference meeting.
Lucas Yoder had 11 kills, 6 digs and 2 aces for USC, while Gianluca Grasso added 10 kills (hitting .381) and Matt Douglas had 7 digs.
For Hawaii, both Brett Rosenmeier and Kupono Fey had 10 kills, with Rosenmeier hitting .368 and Fey getting 6 digs. Larry Tuileta, who as a freshman played volleyball (2015) and football (2014) at USC before transferring to Hawaii last year, had 11 digs.
Hawaii hit .407 in the match to USC’s .250. Troy served 4 aces.
Hawaii got out to a quick 4-1 start in the first set and USC was unable to catch up as the Rainbow Warriors hit .500. Hawaii went on a 3-0 run to build a 9-5 lead in the second set, but later in the set the Trojans went on a 4-0 run to pull within 23-22 before the Warriors closed out the set while hitting .421 to USC’s .378. Hawaii scored the first 3 points of the third set and then extended the lead to 20-14 before USC crept back to within 22-21, but then the teams alternated sideouts to allow the Warriors to capture the match.
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