HONOLULU, Hawaii. –  The No. 7 Pepperdine men's volleyball team (10-3, 3-0 MPSF) beat the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii on the road (14-2) for the first time since 2009 Wednesday night.
 
"The guys played tremendously resilient tonight," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "There were a lot of moments we could have let up, but we made key plays and kept fighting. So many guys came off the bench and contributed to the team like Ford, Aidan and Zach making some huge plays for us."
 
"We also changed game plans numerous times on offense and defense, and the guys were able to adapt and adjust really well," Winder continued. "Super stoked on the moment for our group and motivated for the opportunity to fight and play well again on Friday."
 
Set one previewed the theatrics that would unfold throughout the night, going into extra points right off the jump. With 17 ties and six lead changes, every point was a fight. The All-American duo of Ryan Barnett and Cole Hartke led the charge for the Waves with four and eight kills, respectively. Hartke also had a hand in two blocks as James Eadie was behind the service line for the set point as Pepperdine took the opener 28-26.
 
Jose Gomez came out swinging in the second set. Down five early, the team fought back against the home team's momentum, led by Gomez' team-high six kills. Turning a 3-8 deficit into a tie at 16-all, an ace from Cole Hartke got the Waves back to an even playing field. Hartke and Gomez combined for the next four Waves points behind the service line, before Zach Chapin sealed the deal 25-22 to put the Rainbow Warriors up against the wall to fight a sweep on their home court.
 
Responding in the third, Hawaii quieted the Waves' offense to a .125 hitting percentage. The heavy lifting on the attacking front was done by Hartke and Barnett, who split the leading stat with three kills a piece. Six errors compared to Hawaii's one gave the home team their first set of the night as Pepperdine dropped the third 25-15.
 
With 17 ties and a night-high eight lead changes, the fourth set ended the match with the same chaos that started it. Hartke was the go-to guy, accounting for a whopping 12 of the team's 16 kills. On the receiving side of the ball, it was Jacob Reilly who handled the Rainbow Warrior attacks with ease to keep the Waves offense in rhythm. Bookending the match in extra-point sets the fourth was tied throughout with neither team leading by more than three throughout. Barnett finished behind the service line for the Waves, giving Pepperdine point 29 on an ace before Gomez delivered the final kill. Winning set four 30-28, the Waves defeated Hawaii on their home court for the first time in over a decade, last doing so in 2009. Pepperdine also hands the Rainbow Warriors just their second loss of the season.
 
 
PEPPERDINE VS. HAWAII
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         15       3         35      .343
2         12       7         35       .143
3         10       6         32       .125
4         16       3         24       .542
 
HAWAII ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         15       8         33       .212
2         12       5         36       .194
3         13       1          24       .500
3         18       4          29       .483
 
The Waves are back to face the Rainbow Warriors Friday night. With first serve scheduled for 7 p.m., the match will be available to stream on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
GAME NOTES
• Cole Hartke had nearly half the team's kills tonight, accounting for 24 of 53.
• Ethan Watson had a hand in a night-high four blocks with a solo stuff.
• Andrej Polomac accounted for 43 of the team's 52 assists.
• Jacob Reilly led the team with 12 digs, sharing the stat line with Polomac.
• Reilly also received 26 attacks from the Rainbow Warriors, followed closely by Ryan Barnett who received 22.
• Hartke and Barnett led the team with two service aces apiece.
• Overall on the night, the Waves were outhit but Hawaii .270 to .328
 
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Pepperdine men's volleyball boasts one of the richest histories in collegiate volleyball, with five NCAA National Championships. Four of those championships came under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy who totaled 612 victories in 34 seasons at the helm. With 19 NCAA Appearances and 63 All-Americans, the program has consistently been a destination for top talent across the country. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, the Waves reached the NCAA Final Four in his third season at the helm in 2025.
 
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