HONOLULU — A largely transformed Hawaii men’s volleyball team will play 19 home dates among 29 games in 2025, per the Rainbow Warriors’ full 2025 schedule released on Wednesday.
Coach Charlie Wade has added 10 signees for the coming season, including his son Kainoa Wade, the state player of the year out of Kamehameha.
UH is coming off a 23-7 (5-5 Big West) campaign that ended in the Big West tournament semifinals, ending a run of four straight NCAA Tournament seasons. Top returnees include setter Tread Rosenthal, hitter Louis Sakanoko, middle Kurt Nusterer and libero ‘Eleu Choy.
The Rainbow Warriors will play British Columbia in an exhibition on Dec. 30 in advance of the Jan. 3 regular-season opener against McKendree, which was ranked No. 19 in the last Division I-II AVCA poll of 2024.
McKendree, of Lebanon, Ill., competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
UH opens the season with six straight home games, then takes on BYU on the road on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. The Cougars were No. 7 last year.
Stanford comes to town Feb. 5 and 7 as a marquee home series.
UH’s signature nonconference event, the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational, features Ball State, Penn State and USC from March 13 to 15. All three were ranked in the top 15 at the close of 2024.
As part of a four-game East Coast road trip, UH will play at Queens (N.C.) and first-year program Catawba College on the same day, Feb. 22.
Big West play begins at home against UC Irvine on Feb. 28 and March 2. The remaining four two-match sets against Big West foes resume after the Outrigger Invitational.
UH will host the Big West championship from April 24 to 26 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Hawaii men’s volleyball 2025 schedule
* — Big West match
Jan. 3 — McKendree
Jan. 5 — McKendree
Jan. 8 — Harvard
Jan. 10 — Harvard
Jan. 15 — Princeton
Jan. 17 — Princeton
Jan. 31 — at BYU
Feb. 1 — at BYU
Feb. 5 — Stanford
Feb. 7 — Stanford
Feb. 20 — at Belmont Abbey
Feb. 21 — at Queens
Feb. 22 — at Catawba College
Feb. 22 — at Queens
Feb. 28 — UC Irvine*
March 2 — UC Irvine*
March 5 — Lindenwood
March 7 — Lindenwood
March 13 — Ball State
March 14 — Penn State
March 15 — USC
March 28 — UC San Diego*
March 29 — UC San Diego*
April 4 — at CSUN*
April 5 — at CSUN*
April 11 — Long Beach State*
April 12 — Long Beach State*
April 18 — at UC Santa Barbara*
April 19 — at UC Santa Barbara*
April 24-26 — Big West championships, Honolulu
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.