Thrilling Victory: Hawaii's Kristian Titriyski Leads Team to Win Over Long Beach State
Hawaii's sophomore opposite hitter, Kristian Titriyski, played a crucial role in securing a victory for the team against Long Beach State. In a thrilling five-set match, Hawaii emerged victorious with a 26-24, 23-25, 25-19, 20-25, 15-12 win over Long Beach State at LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. This win marked Hawaii's first victory over Long Beach State in 11 years at the Pyramid, breaking an eight-match road losing streak in regular-season play.
Despite facing challenges, Hawaii's junior setter, Tread Rosenthal, displayed resilience and contributed significantly to the team's success. Rosenthal, who battled discomfort and cramps in the final two sets, recorded 35 assists, seven kills, and five blocks throughout the match. Additionally, Louis Sakanoko showcased a strong performance with eight kills before exiting the game due to an apparent injury in the third set.
Adrien Roure and Finn Kearney stepped up to fill the void left by Sakanoko, with Roure delivering seven kills and Kearney adding five kills as an outside hitter. Hawaii maintained a solid hitting percentage of .288 despite having fewer total kills than Long Beach State, who recorded 64 kills and a .259 hitting percentage. Long Beach State's Wojciech Gajek led his team with 22 kills but also struggled with cramps towards the end of the match.
Long Beach State faced challenges with 28 attack errors and 26 service errors, ultimately being outblocked by Hawaii with a score of 10-7. The two teams are set to face each other again on Saturday night for another exciting matchup.