LOS ANGELES >> As the Hawaii men\u2019s volleyball team stormed the court after match point against Long Beach State, the shakas started forming, pointing up to the sky.<\/p>\n
Two weeks after Long Beach State freshman Wojciech Gajek angered a team, and an entire fan base, when he flashed the double shaka and then pointed to the ground in the Beach\u2019s five-set win in the Big West tournament final, the Rainbow Warriors got their revenge on the sport\u2019s biggest stage.<\/p>\n
Kristian Titriyski put down a match-high 14th kill for the final point and No. 2 seed Hawaii advanced to its seventh national final in school history with a 25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22 win over the Beach in the semifinals of the National Collegiate Men\u2019s Volleyball Championships on Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.<\/p>\n
Louis Sakanoko added 12 kills and Adrien Roure finished with 10 to give UH three players in double figures in kills. Justin Todd, who missed the previous match against Long Beach State with an injury, added a career-high 10 blocks and Hawaii (29-5) finished the season 3-1 against the Beach (25-5), who lost only two other matches.<\/p>\n
After it was over, the \u2019Bows celebrated on the court near the net with a lot of the team, and even coaches, flashing the shaka sign toward both the Beach and the crowd.<\/p>\n
SHAKAS UP IN PAULEY. #HawaiiMVB<\/a> advances to the national championship with a 25-15, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22 win over Long Beach State. pic.twitter.com\/pgPJ6zSkNr<\/a><\/p>\n Don’t miss out on what’s happening!<\/p>\n Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It’s FREE!<\/p>\n \u2014 Billy Hull (@billyhull) May 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think everyone took it a little personally,\u201d Sakanoko admitted after the match. \u201cThat was a little way to send it back in a classy way.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawaii improved to 7-3 in the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament and will face UC Irvine for the national championship on Monday at 1 p.m.<\/p>\n The match was similar to the one played two weeks ago when UH won sets one and three and Long Beach State took set two.<\/p>\n Hawaii, which couldn\u2019t convert five match points in the fourth set in the previous meeting, trailed 18-14 on Saturday before closing on an 11-4 run with Sakanoko, Kainoa Wade and Roure all delivering serving turns of at least two points.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the mantras that we have is good turns late,\u201d Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. \u201cGuys going back to the service line when there is a lot on the line and guys like Kainoa come in and have a really good turn for us, Adrien came back there late and guys just kind of embraced this moment in being able to deliver when it counts.\u201d<\/p>\n Gajek, who hit .071 with 11 kills and nine errors, had one of Long Beach State\u2019s 18 service errors after the Beach led 18-14.<\/p>\n Sakanoko, who had six service errors and no aces, served his first one in that led to a Roure kill and a Beach timeout. They couldn\u2019t freeze Sakanoko, who put another one in that led to a Trevell Jordan kill to get within one point.<\/p>\n \u201cI was playing so bad from the service line that I couldn\u2019t do worse,\u201d Sakanoko said. \u201cMy team needed me at that moment and I had to (serve) in a good way. Get my ideas together and I know how to serve. Just tried to lock in a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n The match was tied for the final time at 21-all when Titriyski pumped a kill off the block.<\/p>\n Todd, whose absence in the Big West final was certainly felt, teamed with Titriyski on a block of Gajek, and then Roure put one down from the back row for the first of UH\u2019s two match points.<\/p>\n Long Beach State senior All-American Skyler Varga got to serve down 24-22 and forced Hawaii setter Tread Rosenthal to make a two-handed bump set back over his head as he tumbled near the courtside tables that was put in the perfect position for Titiryski to hammer off a double block to end it.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to show what I can do against Long Beach and our team does an amazing job, but I wanted to contribute,\u201d Todd said. \u201cFor the blocking part, I give a lot of credit to my teammates because at the net, whenever we are blocking, everybody is communicating to each other what we have to do and it just makes it a lot easier for me and my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n Rosenthal, who finished with 36 assists, five blocks, five digs and two aces, fell to the ground midway through the third set on a non-contact play and had to be looked at by the trainer.<\/p>\n He finished the match but was struggling to move around on the court.<\/p>\n \u201cI know they are evaluating him now, but he was playing on one leg at the end pretty much, so, our team doctor is here with us and they are taking a look at him and we\u2019ll get a little more info,\u201d Wade said.<\/p>\n Varga finished the match with a team-high 13 kills to lead the Beach, who lost the first set by double digits after combining for 13 hitting and serving errors.<\/p>\n The Beach seized control of the second set on a challenge of a UH touch that wasn\u2019t called on an out ball. The call was overturned to put the Beach ahead 21-18 instead of 20-19 and Gajek served out the set.<\/p>\n Hawaii used a 7-1 run, spurred by aces from Kainoa Wade and Titriyski, to take control of the third set leading 22-16.<\/p>\n Long Beach State served out to fall behind two sets to one.<\/p>\n LBSU finished the night hitting .200. Hawaii had 14.5 blocks to Long Beach State\u2019s six.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to win a national championship, which all of these guys have done, it\u2019s one of the most special experiences out there,\u201d Long Beach State coach Nick MacRae said. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve done it, then it\u2019s like oh I want nothing more than to keep going after it, and you have to be in this very special moment in the Final Four to have a shot. You have to execute at a really high level, there is a little bit of lady luck that goes into it, and everything has to really be rocking. That\u2019s what makes it so special.\u201d<\/p>\n The Beach are the first team not to repeat as national champion since Ohio State won in 2011. UC Irvine (2012-13), Loyola Chicago (2014-15), Ohio State (2016-17), Long Beach State (2018-19), Hawaii (2021-22) and UCLA (2023-24) all won in consecutive years.<\/p>\n Hawaii is 3-3 all-time in the national final. One of those wins was later vacated (2002).<\/p>\n \u2014<\/p>\n RELATED<\/p>\n >> Thanks to this year\u2019s expanded field, UC Irvine got in and is now in the final<\/a><\/p>\n