Hawaii was 4-25 all time in matches against BYU in the Smith Fieldhouse coming to Provo this weekend.
The Rainbow Warriors improved that record Friday, earning a dramatic five-set victory over the Cougars by set scores of 20-25, 25-22, 23-25, 25-16 and 22-20.
Despite BYU reaching match point six different times in the fifth set, Hawaii did just enough to stay alive before ultimately handing the Cougars the final blow.
“We had opportunities,” BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead said. “You’ve got to be a little tougher, and against great teams you just cannot let up. I felt like we did somewhere in that fifth set.”
The Rainbow Warriors seem to be making a habit of handing the Cougars tough losses. The former league rivals had not met since Hawaii swept BYU in another gut-wrenching defeat in the 2021 national championship.
BYU now has lost three straight to Hawaii, its last win over the Rainbow Warriors coming in 2020 at Hawaii just days before the remaining season was canceled because of the pandemic.
The last time the Cougars and Rainbow Warriors met in Provo was 2019 when Hawaii topped BYU. Friday’s win, coupled with the 2019 triumph, gives the Rainbow Warriors their first-ever consecutive victories over the Cougars in the Smith Fieldhouse.
The match marked Hawaii’s first contest in two weeks and its first on the road, and it took the Rainbow Warriors some time to find their groove.
“Right off the bat our guys were (energized),” Olmstead said. “We were blocking everything. … We got that nice lead and then they evened out.”
BYU never trailed in the first set, taking a quick 5-1 lead thanks to three consecutive blocks. The Cougars kept their lead the rest of the way, weathering Hawaii’s runs, including one that brought the Rainbow Warriors within two points at 19-21.
BYU held Hawaii to just one more point the rest of the set though, finishing off an impressive start to the match.
Hawaii then overcame a six-point deficit to win the second set. After another slow start, the Rainbow Warriors got their first lead of the match at 20-21.
The visitors controlled the end of the set, scoring seven of the final nine points — including their first two service aces of the night — to tie the match at 1-1.
“We gave up a good lead,” Olmstead said of his team’s collapse in the second set. “You cannot do that...but credit to Hawaii.”
BYU returned the favor after trailing for much of the third set, going on a 7-2 run to come from behind and take a 21-19 edge. The Rainbow Warriors matched the Cougars at 23 before committing a service error that gave the home squad set point.
One BYU kill later, from senior outside hitter and Hawaii transfer Keoni Thiim, and the Cougars regained the set advantage.
Hawaii dominated the fourth set, extending its lead to 10 points en route to a lopsided victory to force a fifth and deciding set. The Cougars looked overmatched in the fourth, helplessly watching the gap between them and the Rainbow Warriors grow with a deciding final set impending.
The fifth set saw Hawaii overcome another deficit, as it trailed 8-4 early before using a 6-1 run to take the lead. Still, BYU regained the upper hand but never could totally capitalize.
Hawaii did the reverse, scoring the final three points of the match on a pair of kills from freshman opposite hitter Kristian Titriyski and a service ace from sophomore setter Tread Rosenthal — the Rainbow Warriors’ third ace of the set.
Following so many squandered opportunities, the Cougars feel there is a lot they can clean up.
“I thought we lacked a little there in the middle of that fifth set,” Olmstead said. “(We made) a handful of errors.”
BYU will get a chance to correct its errors when it meets Hawaii again Saturday evening at 7 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on BYUtv.