HONOLULU — On a night that saw Hawaii men’s volleyball veteran Alaka‘i Todd take an unprecedented trip to the post-game interview table, the former backup found himself talking more about someone who occupied his old shoes.
Todd joked about overcoming his own tendency to speak in monotone after his career-high 14-kill, eight-dig, two-ace outing, a big part of the Rainbow Warriors’ 25-23, 25-19, 25-20 sweep of Loyola Chicago in the 2024 season opener at the Stan Sheriff Center on Wednesday night.
But when asked about reserve hitter Keoni Thiim, whose energy helped ignite a huge run in Set 3 that helped UH rally from down 15-7, Todd said without a trace of irony: “It’s just nice to see other guys get an opportunity to showcase what (they) can do.”
Thiim was the night's effective closer with his three kills, service ace and block in the final frame, and the attention at the outset was mostly on the debut of freshman setter Tread Rosenthal. In between, a couple of old roster standbys finally got a chance to step out of the shadows: Todd, the sixth-year pin hitter out of Punahou who has been present for the entirety of the program’s run to four straight NCAA title matches; and libero ‘Eleu Choy, the diminutive and soft-spoken Farrington grad who nonetheless commands huge respect from his teammates and coaches.
Todd stepped in at opposite for the rookie professional Dimitrios Mouchlias, while Choy got the starting nod as the successor to Brett Sheward, the converted libero who now sets for UC Irvine. Kurt Nusterer occupied the second middle spot vacated by graduated Cole Hogland and Rosenthal, the 17-year-old U.S. junior national team up-and-comer, tried to pick up where an all-time program great, AVCA Player of the Year Jakob Thelle, left off.
UH, last season’s NCAA runner-up, learned earlier in the day that it was ranked No. 3 in the first AVCA poll of the season, behind defending champion UCLA and Long Beach State. Loyola Chicago entered at No. 10.
It often wasn't pretty as UH struggled to connect with its middles. It hit a pedestrian .256 against John Hawks’ Ramblers of the MIVA, but made up for it by serving in the lines at a 93% clip.
The 6-foot-8 Rosenthal had 32 assists, five digs, two blocks, and two aces among his error-free 21 serves in his collegiate debut.
“Offensively we were just OK,” coach Charlie Wade said. “We’re just going to have to be a little patient with the offense. We probably hit .350 and .375 in the fall, and tonight was well below that. Some misfires. The location early on was poor, but (Tread) is listening and he’s trying and he got better as it went on, and location to the pins got a little better.”
UH’s returning lineup mainstays, Spyros Chakas (16 kills), Chaz Galloway (five kills, eight digs) and Guilherme Voss (six kills, two blocks) ceded the spotlight for much of the night.
Things got off to an awkward start. Backup setter Kevin Kauling, a Lewis senior transfer who was effectively a safety net for the young Rosenthal, stepped on Galloway’s foot during warmups and injured an ankle. Wade said he hoped it wasn’t serious; Kauling was to have X-rays on Thursday.
Choy, meanwhile, got mixed up with Nusterer in tunnel introductions for the starters.
“I got a little excited. I already felt the vibes like, I want to get out there. … I was thinking numerically. Sorry Kurt,” Choy said sheepishly.
But Choy, a fifth-year junior who has an elite reputation in the practice gym but had only really made spot appearances in matches to this point in his career, ignited the Sheriff crowd of 4,440 (5,461 tickets issued) by laying out repeatedly for his career-high 15 digs. Seven of those came in the first frame.
Todd eclipsed the 13 kills he’d set as his benchmark against Barton in a road trip last January.
While Nusterer and Thiim, old bench buddies, followed big points by screaming in each other’s faces, Todd acknowledged he has to work on his celebrations.
“Sometimes I get a little monotone out there so I’ve just been practicing this whole entire time, just trying to get that game face on,” he said with a smile. He added that the strong crowd turnout helped him turn up his energy.
Wade spoke up on Todd’s and Choy’s behalf.
“He served well. Fourteen times without an error with two aces. That’s absolutely getting it done,” Wade said of Todd. “Expect him to touch a few more balls blocking and block a little better. But first night out, pretty good.
“And stoked for Eleu too. He ended up with 15 digs in three sets. You get around three (per set), you’ll lead the country … in men’s volleyball. So to come out and get five against a team like that on the first night out, pretty good.”
After the Ramblers burst out to an eight-point lead in Set 3, Wade unleashed Thiim, whose high-risk, high-reward booming serves were controlled on this night. The Kalani alumnus helped ignite a game-breaking 18-5 run.
Loyola’s top two options, Parker Van Buren and Daniel Fabokovic, were each held to .094 hitting, and a combined 17 kills.
The teams rematch at 7 p.m. Friday.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.