University of Hawai’i Men’s Volleyball Advances to OUTRIGGER Big West Championship Final

The top-seeded University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team advanced to the OUTRIGGER Big West Championship final after defeating fifth-seeded UC San Diego in four sets on Friday at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California.

Set scores were 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 25-13 in favor of the Rainbow Warriors, securing their place in the title match for the sixth time as they seek their fifth overall conference crown.

The victory came on April 24, 2026, during semifinal action of the 2026 OUTRIGGER Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship tournament hosted by UC Irvine.

Hawai’i will now face the winner of the other semifinal match between host UC Irvine and Long Beach State, with the championship scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PT at the Bren Events Center.

As the defending tournament champions, the Rainbow Warriors entered the tournament as the top seed and maintained their position through strong performance in the semifinal round.

The team’s path to the final included overcoming a second-set loss to UC San Diego, bouncing back with decisive wins in the third and fourth sets to clinch the match.

UC San Diego entered the match as the fifth seed, making Hawai’i’s victory a fulfillment of their seeding expectation in the semifinal round.

The OUTRIGGER Big West Championship continues to be hosted at the Bren Events Center, which has served as the venue for the tournament’s semifinal and final matches in 2026.

With the win, Hawai’i keeps alive its pursuit of a fifth Big West Conference men’s volleyball title, having previously won the championship in prior seasons.

The Rainbow Warriors’ appearance in the final marks their sixth trip to the championship match in the program’s history within the Big West Conference tournament format.

No further details regarding player statistics, individual performances, or coaching statements were included in the verified reporting from the semifinal match.