MATCH STATS
- #7 Hawai’i def. #14 USC, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-22)
- Hawai’i moves to 3-0; USC falls to 3-1
- Honolulu, Hawai’i
- Attendance: 3488
- Box score
HONOLULU – In the title match of the inaugural Texaco Rainbow Warrior Classic, host and #7-ranked Hawai’i swept #14 USC to remain undefeated on the season (25-17, 25-20, 25-22). It was the first match between the former MPSF rivals, now that Hawai’i is part of the Big West conference.
Setter Joe Worsley, named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, finished with 36 assists and 8 digs while directing the high-powered offense to a .479 hitting percentage on the night. The Rainbow Warriors also hit .434 for the tournament, all run by Worsley. Stijn van Tilburg led the Hawai’i offense with 14 kills on .684 hitting. Rado Parapunov finished with 11 kills from the opposite position, hitting .318 while adding a match-high 4 blocks. Both Tilburg and Parapunov earned all-tournament honors for their efforts throughout the weekend.
For USC, all-tournament honoree Gianluca Grasso led the Trojan attack with 13 kills and received 17 serves without an error. Jack Wyett, who also earned all-tournament honors, added 11 kills, hitting .304 with a team-high 3 blocks. Ryan Moss, the third member of USC to receive an all-tournament nod, finished with 6 kills.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy of Hawai’i Athletics
HONOLULU – The fifth-ranked University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team captured the inaugural Texaco Rainbow Warrior Classic title after a straight-set win over No. 12 USC Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-17, 25-20, 25-22.
The former Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rivals met for the championship after each defeated Division III foes Stevens Institute of Technology and Juniata earlier in the tournament. But the Warriors (3-0) proved to be too much for the Trojans (3-1) as tournament Most Outstanding Player Joe Worsleyled a balanced attack for UH’s third straight-set win.
Outside hitter Stijn van Tilburg had a match-high 14 kills, hitting .684 to earn all-tournament team honors along with opposite Rado Parapunov, who added 11 kills and four blocks. Worsley dished out 36 assists and led the Warriors to a team hitting percentage of .479, including .434 for the tournament.
USC’s Gianluca Grasso tallied 13 kills and also made all-tournament along with Jack Wyett (20 kills) and Ryan Moss (6 kills).
UH erased a 4-0 deficit to open Set 1 with six straight points and pushed their lead to 18-12 with the help of 4.5 blocks and two aces. USC inched to within 19-15 but the Warriors closed out the set on a 6-2 run capped by van Tilburg’s third kill.
An early 5-1 run gave UH a 7-3 lead to start Set 2 before the Trojans tied it at 9-9. Moments later, the Warriors reeled off five straight for a 15-10 lead. A van Tilburg ace extended UH’s lead to 22-15 and van Tilburg closed out the set with his another kill.
In Set 3, the Warriors rallied from an early deficit to tie it at 15-15. The teams traded points until an untimely substitution error cost the Trojans a point and tied the match at 19-19. A hitting error by Moss gave UH a two-point cushion and the teams traded side outs until the Warriors ended it with kills by van Tilburg and Rosenmeier.
In the day’s opening match, Division III powers Stevens and Juniata squared off with SIT winning in four sets, 25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 25-14.
Texaco Classic All-Tournament Team
David Lehman, Stevens
Ryan Moss, USC
Jack Wyett, USC
Gianluca Grasso, USC
Rado Parapunov, Hawai’i
Stijn van Tilburg, Hawai’i
Joe Worsley, Hawai’i – Most Outstanding Player
Courtesy of USC Athletics
The No. 12-ranked USC men’s volleyball team fell to host No. 5 Hawaii, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22 on Saturday (Jan. 6) on the third and final day of the Texaco Rainbow Warrior Classic in Honolulu, Hi.
USC (3-1) suffered its first loss of 2018, while Hawaii remained undefeated (3-0). The Trojans had beaten Juniata on Thursday (Jan. 4) and Stevens Institute on Friday (Jan. 5) in the first 2 days of the Texaco Rainbow Warrior Classic.
Gianluca Grasso led USC with 13 kills, while Jack Wyett had 11 kills (hitting .304) and 3 blocks and Ryan Moss had 6 kills.
USC faced Hawaii without 6-10 freshman starting middle blocker Sam Lewis, who injured his ankle early in the Stevens Institute match on Friday.
Stijn Van Tilburg led Hawaii with a match-leading 14 kills while hitting .684, Rado Parapunov added 11 kills (hitting .318) and 4 blocks and Brett Rosenmeier had 8 kills (hitting .462) and 6 digs.
Hawaii outhit USC, .479 to .207, and had more digs (24-17).
USC scored the match’s first 4 points, but Hawaii answered by scoring the next 6 points and the Rainbow Warriors never trailed the rest of the opening set as they hit .400 with 6 blocks. In the second set, Hawaii scored 5 unanswered points to build a 15-10 lead and USC couldn’t catch up as UH hit .591. The third set was tied at 20-20 before Hawaii scored back-to-back points, all the cushion it needed to close out the match while hitting .462 to USC’s .414.
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