UH men's volleyball team faces tough tests starting with No. 6 BYU

Rainbow Warriors host Cougars for two matches this week after NIL tournament cancellation

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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The third-ranked University of Hawaii men's volleyball team will host the sixth-ranked Brigham Young Cougars for two matches this week at the Stan Sheriff Center. This comes after the cancellation of a planned NIL tournament that would have featured top-ranked teams. The Rainbow Warriors, who won twice at BYU last season, are looking forward to the challenge of facing the Cougars on their home court.

Why it matters

This matchup between two NCAA Final Four contenders is an important early-season test for the Rainbow Warriors, who are looking to build on last year's success. The matches will also provide a rare opportunity for fans to directly support the UH men's volleyball program through ticket sales.

The details

The Rainbow Warriors return all but two starters from last year's team, while the Cougars have a largely new starting lineup this season. UH has won nine straight matches, with its only loss coming in five sets to No. 8 Loyola Chicago. BYU has won nine straight as well, with its two losses coming in five sets at home against No. 4 UC Irvine.

  • The matches will take place tonight (February 25, 2026) and Friday (February 27, 2026) at 7 p.m. HST.
  • UH hasn't played a home match since a doubleheader on January 16, 2026 and has had three bye weeks since.

The players

Kainoa Wade

A sophomore on the UH men's volleyball team who is looking forward to the challenge of facing BYU on the Rainbow Warriors' home court.

Charlie Wade

The head coach of the UH men's volleyball team, who says the team will need all the help it can get from the home crowd against the high-level Cougars.

Finn Kearney

A sophomore outside hitter for the Rainbow Warriors who sees these matches as a turning point in the season.

Brigham Young Cougars

The sixth-ranked men's volleyball team that is coming to Honolulu to face the third-ranked Rainbow Warriors in a rematch of last season's two-game series, which UH won.

UCLA

The top-ranked team that Hawaii was originally scheduled to play in a cancelled NIL tournament.

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What they’re saying

“Playing there last year was an awesome experience for us to see because we're coming from playing in the Stan, which is a bigger arena, to the small gymnasium they got. The fans are right on top of you, so it's super loud in there. It was a good time playing there. We were able to come out on top with two (wins), so they've got a little chip on their shoulder trying to come in here and take our home court.”

— Kainoa Wade, Sophomore, UH men's volleyball (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

“The crowd is such a big part of just the mana, or the environment here. BYU is playing at a high level and we're going to need all of the help we can get.”

— Charlie Wade, Head Coach, UH men's volleyball (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

“I think this is definitely a little bit of a turning point in the season. I think having those bye were good after seeing ourselves early and being able to fix the little things and move on into the tougher part of the season with those things fixed.”

— Finn Kearney, Sophomore Outside Hitter, UH men's volleyball (Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

What’s next

The Rainbow Warriors will host No. 7 Pepperdine next week before the Outrigger Resorts Invitational, which includes a match against No. 1 UCLA. UH will then open Big West play on March 20 at defending national champion Long Beach State.

The takeaway

This series against BYU is an important early-season test for the Rainbow Warriors as they look to build on last year's success and position themselves for a deep NCAA tournament run. The matches will also provide a rare opportunity for UH fans to directly support the men's volleyball program through ticket sales, which will go directly to the team.