The Hawaii men’s volleyball team is projected to tussle with longtime rival Long Beach State for supremacy in the Big West Conference once again.

UH was picked second behind the Beach in the 2024 BWC preseason coaches poll announced Thursday. Charlie Wade’s Rainbow Warriors received two of six first-place votes and 21 points in the poll while LBSU garnered three first-place votes and 23 points. Third-place UC Irvine got the remaining first-place vote.

UH went 29-3 in 2023 and reached its fourth consecutive national championship game, where it lost to UCLA. Along the way, the ‘Bows seized a second straight Big West tournament championship, defeating host UC Irvine in the title match.

UH lost All-America setter Jakob Thelle, libero Brett Sheward and opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias from that team. Sheward is now a setter at UCI; UH signed another veteran at the position, Lewis transfer Kevin Kauling in the offseason.

Senior hitter Spyros Chakas and senior middle Guilherme Voss were named to the seven-player preseason all-conference team, along with LBSU libero Mason Briggs, UCI hitter Hilir Henno, CSUN hitter Kyle Hobus, LBSU setter Aidan Knipe and LBSU hitter Sotiris Siapanis.

UH opens the season Jan. 3 against Loyola Chicago.

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.