Second-Ranked Hawai'i Handles UC Irvine in Four

#2 Hawai'i defeated UC Irvine 3-1 at Pauley Pavilion, improving to 28-5 while dropping the Anteaters to 20-8. The difference was closing power — Hawai'i finished the sets that mattered, pulling away when the margin tightened against an Irvine team that made them work for every point.

UC Irvine grabbed a set and showed flashes of the consistency that earned 20 wins this season, but the Anteaters couldn't sustain enough pressure to flip the match. Hawai'i's precision and depth gradually wore them down across four sets.

For the Rainbow Warriors, it's another line on a resume that already looks like a title contender's. For UC Irvine, 20-8 still holds weight — but finding another gear against the sport's elite is the next step forward.