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For all the talk about No. 1 Hawai’i having a big starting lineup turnover, the defending national champions still have setter Jakob Thelle.
It did not take long this season for Thelle to put on a showcase performance.
The Preseason All-American setter had a career-high six aces and guided the offense to a .381 attack percentage as Hawai’i swept No. 7 Loyola 25-14, 25-23, 25-18 to open its season on Wednesday in Honolulu.
Thelle, a finalist for the 2021 Lloy Ball Award as the nation’s top setter, had four aces as part of an 8-0 run to open the third game. The setter also finished with 33 assists and helped two Hawai’i starters hit at least .500 in the victory.
Outside attacker Chaz Galloway had a match-high 11 kills on a .476 attack percentage. In addition, middle attacker Guilherme Voss contributed 10 kills and one error on a team-best .769 attack percentage.
Along with his offensive and serving performance, Thelle defensively had both a team-high seven digs and four blocks.
Hawai’i out-blocked Loyola 9.5 to 4 and limited the preseason favorites to win the MIVA to a .169 attack percentage.
Preseason All-American outside attacker Cole Schlothauer in the loss led Loyola with 10 kills. Schlothauer, though, was the only Rambler to have more than five kills.
Hawai’i following its 8-0 run to start the third game led by as many as nine points en route to extending its regular season winning streak to 19 matches.
The Rainbow Warriors overcame a four-point deficit early in the second game and took the lead at 12-11 with a 5-0 run that featured two aces from Thelle. Hawai’i and Loyola were tied 23-23 before opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias had a kill and block assist on back-to-back plays that helped the Rainbow Warriors take a two-game lead.
Hawai’i in the opening game did not commit an attack error and hit .609. In addition, the Rainbow Warriors sided-out at a perfect 100 percent rate as part of its 11-point win.
Hawai’i with this victory improves to 6-1 all-time against Loyola and has not lost to the Ramblers since 2002.
The two teams will have an off day on Thursday before closing out their two-match non-conference series on Friday.
The series opening win also came on the same day Hawai’i unveiled its 2021 NCAA championship banner.
Hawai’i during a prematch ceremony had former All-American outside attacker Colton Cowell above the court on a catwalk in the arena’s rafters where he unraveled the banner. Cowell was a starter on the Rainbow Warriors last season and is currently rehabbing from an injury before starting his professional career.