LOS ANGELES — Hawaii reached the pinnacle of men's volleyball in 2021. It earned the right to remain there in 2022.

The revamped Rainbow Warriors completed a successful national title defense by sweeping rival Long Beach State in the NCAA final at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on Saturday afternoon.

UH prevailed 25-22, 25-21, 25-20 over the top-seeded Beach to become the fifth straight school to win back-to-back NCAA titles in the sport. The Rainbow Warriors did it against two of their historical rivals in BYU and LBSU. They started the year at No. 1 in the AVCA coaches poll and will end it the same way, even with a cast that went from supporting work to prime time at a number of positions.

It was UH’s first NCAA team title repeat in any sport since Dave Shoji’s women’s volleyball teams of 1982 and 1983.

UH (27-5) followed up on its Big West tournament sweep over the Beach (21-6) two weeks ago by finishing off a three-match run through the NCAA tournament as the de facto third seed. Its toughest test turned out to be against Ball State in Thursday’s semifinals, when the 'Bows had to scrap from down 2-1 in sets to win in five.

Charlie Wade's program has displayed staying power after a hard-fought loss to LBSU in the 2019 national final, a COVID-canceled 2020 campaign that was full of expectations and a march to the 2021 title in front of empty arenas.

LBSU beat UH twice at the Walter Pyramid in early April, when the Rainbows struggled to put away sets in a hostile environment. It was the opposite in the next two meetings of the season. Several hundred green-clad fans made it almost feel like a home vibe with Beach fans also in attendance.

UH is inviting fans to a "Welcome Home" rally for the champions at the Stan Sheriff Center back parking lot at noon on Sunday.

"I thought we were in pretty good position all year long," Wade said. "I never thought we were that far away, even (through) some nights we didn’t play very well. But we knew we had good players, we knew we had guys who were on the floor last year when we won."

Big West Player of the Year Jakob Thelle set a masterful game, distributing UH’s quickened attack to hitters Spyros Chakas and Chaz Galloway, opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias and middles Guilherme Voss and Cole Hogland. Chakas led the way with 14 kills on 30 swings — including the match-winner — while Mouchlias hit .500 with 11 kills and no errors on 22 attacks. UH hit .434 to LBSU's .304.

UH unleashed the back-row attack like rarely before this season, something Thelle had referred to during the week as a "secret weapon."

Thelle, the Big West Player of the Year who also set for last year's juggernaut team, said this title outdid the last, given the Rainbows' transformation in the wake of departed All-Americans Rado Parapunov, Gage Worsley, Patrick Gasman and Colton Cowell.

"With all respect to Rado, Gage, Jackson (Van Eekeren), Patrick and Colton, this one feels better," Thelle said as he and Chakas, clad in lei, grinned at the postgame podium. "Just having a whole new team this year and how hard we worked in practice every single day, this one is sweeter."

He paused a beat.

"With all due respect, though. I love all my guys."

For Chakas, one of two members of UH's "Greek Squad" that came into prominence this season, there was no comparison. His countryman, Mouchlias, missed all of last season with ankle injuries and was away from the team for that national championship. They became the team's primary pin hitters this season, along with Galloway.

"I was more of a serving sub," Chakas, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, said of his role last year. "The feeling is still amazing, but when you just know you’ve contributed more, and you achieve that with the whole group again, it’s just amazing and feels great."

The Beach's AVCA Player of the Year Alex Nikolov did heavy damage with 20 kills on 37 swings, hitting .405. But the rest of Alan Knipe’s team was held in check, and LBSU was denied a third NCAA championship in four tournaments.

"You’re not going to stop him – you’re just trying to slow him down," Wade said. "We were able to enough. … He’s a really good player. Fortunately, he didn’t really go off on the service line. That’s where he can really do damage and go on runs. … I thought we did a good job of getting him off the line quick tonight."

The UH block factored heavily into the outcome, with the Rainbows winning that statistic 8-1 and disrupting a number of other attacks right at the net.

Knipe thought that UH did a good job of increasing its tempo in the teams' last two meetings.

"They played great. Well deserved," Knipe said. "A lot of close sets and a lot of (stat) lines except for blocking, which is something that’s been a big deal for us all season long. We had a tough time scoring real points, that’s a credit to them. … I thought that was the difference, especially early on."

Chakas and Hogland blocked Simon Torwie in the middle for a 17-14 lead in Set 1.

A Thelle ace that rolled off the net extended it to 20-17.

The Beach cut UH’s lead from four to 22-20 on Nikolov’s seventh kill in the set, followed by a back-row miss by Chakas.

UH went to a quick back-row attack to Chakas to put away the set on its second opportunity. UH hit .464 in the frame with six kills by Chakas.

UH came out sloppy to begin Set 2, falling behind 4-1 and 9-4.

The Rainbows’ rode Thelle’s deadly serves during a 5-0 run to get back into the set at 10-all.

"I always enjoy those moments when we’re down and I just embrace that attack mode," Thelle said. "Today was another opportunity for me to show that. I love those moments."

The defending champs eked ahead steadily from there to go up 20-17, but libero Brett Sheward was called for a questionable lift on a serve receive to cut it to one. Sheward, a converted setter who had the large task of filling in the shoes of Worsley this season, was otherwise dialed in on a six-dig night.

UH went back up three on a roof of Spencer Olivier by Thelle and Hogland.

The Rainbows went ahead 2-0 in sets on their first opportunity with a beautiful back-set from Thelle to Mouchlias at the right pin.

UH kept up the pressure to open Set 3, jumping out to a 6-3 lead on Galloway’s putdown.

Voss put down an overpass for a 10-8 lead.

Charlie Wade challenged an in/out call on a swing by Chakas and was successful to maintain the lead at 12-11.

The Beach eked ahead 14-13 on a back-row attack by Olivier.

UH reclaimed the lead at 17-16 on a block by Voss and Chakas. Wade was successful on another call of a Beach net violation for a two-point lead.

Chakas dealt an ace for a 20-17 lead and the Beach burned its final timeout. Clarke Godbold hit a ball long coming out of the break to make it a four-point lead.

Mouchlias tooled the block to set up four match points and it turned out UH needed only one.

It was the final match with Hawaii for assistant coach Josh Walker, the Warrior alumnus who is heading to Baylor to be a women’s volleyball assistant in the offseason. Thelle and Chakas both credited him as being an instrumental part of team scouting reports and strategies.

"He will be a head coach sooner (rather) than later, and a very good one," Wade said. "He’s a great role model for everyone he’s in front of."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The original story was updated with reaction and additional quotes. (May 8, 2022)

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.