The Pepperdine men’s volleyball team, ranked seventh nationally, was defeated by third-ranked Hawaii in a four-set match on Friday night in Honolulu. The final score was 3-1 in favor of the Rainbow Warriors.
Head coach Jonathan Winder commented on his team’s performance: “Our team certainly has the will to win and a tremendous amount of grit,” Winder said. “It’s a group I’m extremely proud of and excited to coach everyday because we have a desire to win and a desire to learn. This week we’ve learned a lot against a talented and organized Hawaii team in a tough environment. They had a great crowd and played really well tonight, especially from the service line with their setter who made lots of plays.”
Winder also addressed areas for improvement: “We didn’t play as consistently tonight,” he continued. “In all sets, we were streaky with our choices and care of the ball. While our quality of play wasn’t always there tonight, the ability to move on and score points in bunches was crucial for us.”
Pepperdine struggled early offensively, hitting .132 in the first set with four service errors, which contributed to losing the opening set 25-22 after being last tied at 14-all. In the second set, Pepperdine managed to even the match after Aidan Tune’s entry shifted momentum; Cole Hartke delivered back-to-back kills for a 25-21 win.
Hawaii responded strongly in the third set, hitting .632 while limiting Pepperdine’s offense and winning 25-15. In the fourth set, Pepperdine took an early lead but could not maintain it as Hawaii went on a nine-point run fueled by strong serving. Despite tying at 25-25 late in an extended rally sequence that saw both teams contesting set point over multiple rallies, Hawaii secured victory with two consecutive kills by Tread Rosenthal for a final score of 36-34.
Statistically, Pepperdine hit .260 overall compared to Hawaii’s .390 attack percentage. Ryan Barnett led his team with an efficiency rating of .312; Jacob Reilly recorded perfect reception numbers; Andrej Polomac and Barnett each tallied eight digs; Polomac also contributed 43 assists out of Pepperdine’s total 51; Barnett served two aces out of five for his team; Cole Hartke led with 20 kills; Ethan Watson posted one solo block while James Eadie participated in seven blocks.
With this result, Pepperdine splits its two-game series against Hawaii and now holds four losses this season—all against ranked opponents.
Pepperdine will return home next week to face No. 16 Penn State at Firestone Fieldhouse. The match is scheduled for 6 p.m., available via B1G+ streaming (subscription required) with live statistics accessible through www.pepperdinewaves.com.
The Waves’ program is noted for its tradition—five NCAA National Championships (four under Hall of Fame coach Marv Dunphy), 19 NCAA appearances, and numerous All-Americans. Under current head coach Jonathan Winder, they reached the NCAA Final Four during his third season leading the program in 2025.
