J Worsley POW, Gasman DPOW, Warriors No. 1

Hawaii outside hitter Brett Rosenmeier hit through the block of Long Beach State's Bjarne Huus and Nick Amado in the fourth set of UH's five-set win over the Beach in 2018. Photo by Bruce Asato/Star-Advertiser.

For the first time since April 13, 2015, the Hawaii men’s volleyball team is No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Top 15.

The Rainbow Warriors (20-0) received all 16 first-place votes in the rankings released today.It is the program’s 30th time at No. 1.
Hawaii replaced defending national champion Long Beach State (19-1) at the top spot; the 49ers lost for the first time since last April 14 (at Hawaii in five) when being swept at USC on Saturday.

The Warriors won a program-record 20th in a row Saturday with a sweep of BYU in Provo. It extended Hawaii’s NCAA-record consecutive sets won to 60.

The Big West has the top three teams in the polls, UC Santa Barbara (15-5) is No. 3.

Pepperdine (16-6) remained No. 4 and UCLA (16-6) No. 6.

Also today, senior setter Joe Worsley was named Big West player of the week and junior middle Patrick Gasman defensive player of the week.


Worsley averaged 12.1 assists and 1.89 digs per set in the Ranbow Warriors’ three victories at last week’s Brigham Young Invite in Provo, Utah. He had 37 assists, four kills, eight digs and three aces, the match-ended against the host Cougars that gave Hawaii (20-0) its first win over BYU in Smith Fieldhouse since 2003.

Worsley leads the country in assists at 11.82 per set and has the top-ranked Warriors hitting .481 which also leads the nation.


Gasman continues to be the top blocker at 1.577 per set. He had a combined 14 blocks and 16 kills in the BYU Invite. He also did not have a hitting error in the three tournament matches, including going 10-for-11 to hit .909 against the Cougars.

Hawaii remains on the road with a nonconference match at Concordia-Irvine Tuesday and two Big West matches at UC San Diego Friday and Saturday,

COMMENTS

  1. hilorain March 25, 2019 9:06 am

    First to congratulate UH on being ranked first. Much deserved.


  2. OrtKapolei March 25, 2019 9:37 am

    Congrats to the Bows. Well Deserved. There is a typo in the article. I think it should say “top Three” instead of “top There” in the last line.


  3. islandman March 25, 2019 10:03 am

    Wow in other words


  4. menehune March 25, 2019 12:44 pm

    Super congrats, ‘Bows..you truly deserve this honor after all the hard work you’ve put in thus far.
    Nice to finally be recognized, but the only real prize is the “pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
    Keep on believing and you’ll accomplish this goal,

    We’ll be there when you meet UCSD in LaJolla. GO BOWS.


  5. jmy March 25, 2019 1:33 pm

    Congratulations to both Worsley and Gasman! Both very well-deserved honors! Joe deserves the national award too! Go Bows!


  6. P.C.Ball March 25, 2019 3:26 pm

    From “Little-Guy’ All-American(s) Worsleys SR & Soph, to Under-Sized, Big-Hopped Colton;
    The Unprecedented .500 to .900 levels of play (Stijn, Parapunov and Gasman)…this team is a Sight to Behold and Enjoy…

    A Truly Self-Made Success…. any way, but ideally WITH That Rainbow Warrior Pot-o’Gold…
    Been watchin’ Their whole UH Careers….

    ONLY Four More Opportunities @SSCTR, April 5&6, and April 18-20
    (#3 UCSB + BWC TOURNEY W#1-2-3-7-12 Today-Ranked Teams


  7. vballfan March 25, 2019 4:39 pm

    Exciting times.
    Big shakas to Joe and Patrick!!
    Love seeing what commitment, focus, team work, hard work amounts to: getting to the top of one’s game, whatever it may be.
    Congratulations to players and staff.


  8. Volleyman March 25, 2019 6:22 pm

    Martin & Napoleon also win Big West Pairs of the Week after going 5-0 this past weekend. Congrats to Pani & Morgan!!


  9. turfwar March 25, 2019 7:40 pm

    This team has come out all season playing like the underdog with something to prove. Don’t change one bit Warriors. Keep your eyes on the one goal you’ve all pursued since the end of last season. Congrats guys. Keep grinding.


  10. darkfire35 March 25, 2019 8:30 pm

    Super Aloha and Congratulations Warriors! Very well deserved!! But keep that mind set you all talk about. All these accolades doesn’t mean anything because they have their eye on the big prize, the big kahuna, the NCAA championship. Their snub to Irvine as Wade has said is fueling them through this whole season and onto the end. As he said, they are in control of their own destiny and their not going to let anyone else decide it for them. So keep playing hard, fast and smart! GO WARRIORS!!!


  11. darkfire35 March 25, 2019 8:33 pm

    Oops…”they’re” not going to let anyone else decide it for them. Didn’t want to get a ticket from the grammar police.. j/k ;o)


  12. Cindy Luis March 26, 2019 3:10 pm

    8. thanks. I had written it for the paper and overlooked putting it here.


  13. Cindy Luis March 26, 2019 3:37 pm

    http://www.hawaiiwarriorworld.com/?p=49251
    new thread up for Tuesday with COI-UH links


  14. Big Island volleyball fan in SLO, CA March 27, 2019 6:52 pm

    After a few days absence from the computer due to a trip to California I finally read these blogs. I agree with all those about the men’s team. Yes, that snub lit a fire like nothing else in the history of volleyball. As for NCAA Player of the Week, it went to a USC player who helped upset Long Beach.

    Looking forward to watching live matches with UCSB and senior night (previously denied to me in Hawaii) and the Big West Conference and rooting for the men to keep up with the marathon run and not fall by the wayside. Also looking forward to watching women’s beach volleyball at Pismo Beach – in person – this weekend. This coming weekend I’ll call myself Pismo Beach volleyball fan if I blog.


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