‘Best week ever’: UH men’s volleyball returns to Hawaii as NCAA champions
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaiʻi men’s volleyball team returned to the islands Tuesday, with the NCAA championship trophy in hand.
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Fans cheered as the team stepped off the bus on the UH Mānoa campus, prompting associate head coach Kupono Fey to comment, “Best week ever.”
The ʻBows beat UC Irvine in four sets to win the program’s third national title.
Outside hitter Louis Sakanoko called the moment a milestone for the program.
“It’s just great that now we have this accomplishment after all those years that we won the national championship. We’re national champions,” Sakanoko said.
Head coach Charlie Wade said the season included multiple setbacks.
“We been through a lot. We had adversity, we had injury, illness, travel issues, cars getting broken into, lots of stuff that went on throughout the course of the year,” Wade said.
“It wasn’t a perfect season, but it had a perfect ending,” he said.
Wade also said it was “surreal” to share the championship with his son, Kainoa Wade, who is on the team.
“Kainoa is in a very ascendant phase of his career,” Wade said. “He’s gonna continue to get better for quite some time.”
Sakanoko said the team is already looking ahead to next season. Asked about repeating, he said, “We will for sure.”
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UH Athletics said it will honor the team during a public celebration Wednesday at Bankoh Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the celebration kicks off at 6 p.m.
Admission is free, but attendees must comply with the facility’s clear bag and prohibited items policies.
Fans who showed up to welcome them Tuesday said they wanted to support the team after its title run.
“It’s always nice to see them coming out of the bus, and they’re smiling even they are tired. They’re always nice to us,” fan Sonomi Espinosa said.
“I think it’s always fun to see them,” fan Tracy Watkins said. “I know that they worked really hard so anything we can do to support.”
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Sakanoko said the support has followed the team even on the road.
“It’s crazy we have the best crowd anywhere we going,” he said.
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