Hawaii Is Back on Top — And UC Irvine Just Wrote One of the Best Cinderella Stories in Men’s Volleyball History
Last night at Pauley Pavilion — UCLA’s house, no less — Hawaii walked in and took what they came for. No. 2 Hawaii defeated UC Irvine 3-1 in the 2026 national championship, claiming the program’s third title since 2021. Coach Charlie Wade has built something genuinely special in Manoa, and this trophy proves it wasn’t a fluke.
But let’s be honest, before we crown Hawaii, we need to talk about the team that nearly stole the whole thing.
The Anteaters Bit Back
UC Irvine came into this tournament as an at-large selection. Not a top seed. Not a favorite. A team that, in previous years, under a smaller bracket, might not have even gotten an invitation. This is the first year the bracket expanded from nine to 12 teams, with five at-large bids, and in the very recent past, one or both of these finalists might not have made the field at all.
And what did UCI do with their shot? They walked into Pauley and knocked out No. 1 UCLA 3-2 in the regional finals — the top overall seed, the defending back-to-back contenders, out. Gone. Then they beat Ball State in the semis. Then they made it to the championship match on the biggest stage in college men’s volleyball.
That’s not a fluke. That’s a program announcing itself. The Anteaters started the season with 11 straight wins and were playing some of their best volleyball heading into the tournament — the analytics backed it up. They weren’t lucky. They were good.
Hawaii’s Dynasty Is Real
Now for the winners. Hawaii is now a three-time champion, with titles in 2021, 2022, and now 2026, sandwiched between UCLA’s back-to-back run in 2023 and 2024. Since 2018, every single national champion has come from the same three programs: Hawaii, UCLA, and Long Beach State. The Big West is simply running college men’s volleyball right now, and it’s not particularly close.
Charlie Wade has turned Honolulu into a recruiting destination and a championship machine. Hawaii had been trending all season upward with limited losses, and came in near their season-high VBelo rating — they were ready for this moment. And they proved it, dispatching Long Beach State — the defending champions — in the semifinals before finishing off UCI in four sets in the final.
One notable subplot heading into the final: Hawaii setter Tread Rosenthal was dealing with a lower-body injury from the semifinal — his mobility and serving were flagged as a potential factor. Either he gutted through it, or Hawaii had more than enough to handle it regardless. They won in four. Convincingly.
The Bigger Story: Men’s Volleyball Is Growing
Today marked the 1,005th match played in men’s volleyball this season — the first time in the sport’s history that total has ever cracked 1,000 in a single season. The bracket expansion is working. The five at-large bids created a final between two teams that — not long ago — might both have been watching from home. Instead, they put on a show at Pauley Pavilion in front of a packed crowd.
Men’s volleyball is having a moment. And Hawaii, once again, is at the center of it.
— VolleyTea