HONOLULU, Hawaii. –  The No. 7 Pepperdine men's volleyball team (11-4, 3-0 MPSF) put up a valiant effort late against the No. 3 Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii (15-2), falling 1-3 in four sets Friday night.
 
"Our team certainly has the will to win and a tremendous amount of grit," head coach Jonathan Winder said. "It's a group I'm extremely proud of and excited to coach everyday because we have a desire to win and a desire to learn. This week we've learned a lot against a talented and organized Hawaii team in a tough environment. They had a great crowd and played really well tonight, especially from the service line with their setter who made lots of plays."
 
"We didn't play as consistently tonight," Winder continued. "In all sets, we were streaky with our choices and care of the ball. While our quality of play wasn't always there tonight, the ability to move on and score points in bunches was crucial for us."
 
The Waves were out of groove early, causing a slow start on the offensive side of the ball. Hitting just .132, four service errors proved costly in a match that would come down to the little things. Last tied at 14-all, the Waves would not secure back-to-back points for the remainder of the opening set, dropping the first 25-22 to Hawaii.
 
Looking to bounce back in the second, the Waves were still trying to get the offense in-system for the beginning of the second set. Pepperdine did not control the serve for more than two consecutive points until Hawaii native Aidan Tune entered the match for the first time tonight. Tied 17-all, Tune gave the Waves the advantage late. Zach Chapin closed it out behind the service line as Cole Hartke notched back-to-back kills in the 25-21 set win to even the playing field once more.
 
Tied at one set all, it seemed the match would be a similar tussle of Wednesday night. Hitting a monstrous .632 in the third, the Rainbow Warriors were out for vengeance from the Waves Wednesday night upset win. Combined with a night-high seven attacking errors on the visitor side, the Waves were stifled from building any momentum for a comeback. Pepperdine dropped the third 15-25.
 
As the fourth got underway in a must-win for the Waves, it was all about momentum. Pepperdine got out to the fast start, capitalizing on Hawaii errors to take an early lead. However, serving got the Rainbow Warriors back into the set. Down 10-6, Hawaii went on a 9-0 run behind a pair of aces to take a 15-10 lead. The home team would maintain the gap all the way to match point. Up 24-23, Jose Gomez stepped behind the service line, drilling an ace and leading the Waves to push extra points. Ties 25-25, the two top-10 squads battled for 19 more rallies as the set point was volleying between the Waves and Rainbow Warriors. Closing the night out on two back-to-back kills by Tread Rosenthal, Hawaii took set four 36-34 and the match 3-1.
 
Outhit .390 to .260 tonight, the Waves found the offensive groove too late to secure a win. Splitting the two-game series with Hawaii, Pepperdine now has four losses, all coming against ranked opponents.
 
PEPPERDINE VS. HAWAII
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         11       6         38      .132
2         15       2         31       .419
3         5         7         22       -.091
4         23       3         46       .435
 
HAWAII ATTACK BY SET
Set      K         E         TA       Pct 
1         15       7         32       .250
2         17       5         36       .333
3         15       3          19       .632
4         26       5          49       .429
 
Pepperdine is back home this week, facing off against No. 16 Penn State. With first serve scheduled for 6 p.m., the match will be available to stream on B1G+ (subscription required) with live stats available at www.pepperdinewaves.com
 
GAME NOTES
• Ryan Barnett was the most efficient Wave tonight, hitting .312 to lead the team.
• Jacob Reilly was perfect in 31 Rainbow Warrior receptions tonight, a night-high.
• Andrej Polomac and Barnett split the highest dig count with eight a piece.
• Polomac accounted for 43 of Pepperdine's 51 assists tonight.
• Barnett also led the Waves in service aces, tallying two of the team's five.
• Cole Hartke had the most kills with 20.
• Ethan Watson recorded the only solo stuff tonight, while James Eadie had a hand in a team-high seven blocks.
 
 
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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