As we say at the end of the season in many other sports, “Everybody’s banged up.”
Some players more than others, of course.
“Broken bones in both hands,” Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade said, nodding toward outside hitter Louis Sakanoko.
How anyone does anything with broken bones in even one hand is beyond me. I’d be out indefinitely, or have to finally learn how to use the dictation feature on my Mac.
Sakanoko was named tournament MVP as UH won its third national championship in six years Monday. On Tuesday, he was first off the bus and carrying the team trophy as the Warriors returned to campus.
”I’m going to see a surgeon next week,” Sakanoko said Tuesday.
Volleyball players don’t get enough credit for toughness. This team had plenty, and needed it, physically and mentally.
When UH was spanked in the first set Monday by Big West conference-mate UC Irvine, the Warriors didn’t even seem to bother to take a deep breath. They just remembered that they’d beaten the Anteaters twice before, and shrugged off the 10-point loss. Once it got going Monday, UH was unstoppable.
The 2026 edition of Hawaii men’s volleyball set records for matches played (35) and won (30) — and probably for arm swings, too.
The pressure you put on your arm hitting or serving a volleyball as hard as you can is at least somewhat similar to what it is when you pitch a baseball, putting stress on your wrist, elbow and shoulder.
Wade stresses proper mechanics, but it’s still a good thing that setter Tread Rosenthal is so adept at spreading the ball around.
Then there’s all that jumping.
Rosenthal can tell you about that. Remember, setters don’t just set — they jump, too, usually as blockers. The Warriors’ junior All-American and team captain played through hip and knee ailments at the end of the postseason. He had back issues that limited his serving proficiency early in the season.
Middle blockers Justin Todd and Trevell Jordan missed time with hand and knee injuries at the end of the regular season. Jordan also had back issues early in the season.
Ankle injuries are common in volleyball, too.
Outside hitter Kristian Titriyski had one left over from the 2025 season — the main reason he played in just 21 matches this year. He also had a back ailment.
Fortunately, the Warriors have Kainoa Wade. He excelled in place of Titriyski early in the season, and continued as a valuable designated server and change of pace at outside hitter.
The University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team won its third national championship in six years with talent and experience. But depth and toughness were huge keys, too.
“They were properly calloused,” Wade said. “We played a strong schedule, and they learned how to overcome adversity.”
This was the first UH team to start the season without at least one player who had not tasted a national championship since the first title under Wade in 2021.
Only one of the Warriors’ 19 players on this roster was a senior, setter Vladimir Kubr. That doesn’t necessarily mean all 18 of the others will be back for next season.
You’ve got to believe all or nearly all of the core will return, though, to try to match the exploits of the 2020 and 2021 teams.
It’s not hard to envision a run of back-to-back championships from these guys, too.