The #2 Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (28-5) defeated the UC Irvine Anteaters (20-8) in four sets, 3-1, at Pauley Pavilion, using a relentless offensive attack to weather every Irvine push and close the door.
Hawai'i's balance was the difference. The Rainbow Warriors absorbed UC Irvine's best shot — the Anteaters took a set and forced the issue — but the depth and efficiency of the #2 team in the country kept surfacing at every critical juncture. Irvine fought; Hawai'i just kept swinging.
For the Anteaters, a 20-win season and a four-set battle against the nation's second-ranked squad is a resume that speaks for itself heading into postseason play. For Hawai'i, this is the version that makes them a championship threat — the kind that wins ugly, wins clean, and wins when someone punches back.
Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.
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