California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
12-13,0-9Big West
Hawai'i
25-4,8-1Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSUN | 20 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
No. 18 CSUN Drops Opener at No. 2 Hawai'i in Straight Sets
4/17/2026 11:58:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
HONOLULU — No. 2 Hawaii overwhelmed CSUN in straight sets Friday night, using a sizable block advantage to secure a 25-20, 25-16, 25-16 win in a Big West match at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Matadors (12-13, 0-9 Big West) were paced by Jalen Phillips, who finished with a team-high 10 kills but hit .143 on 28 swings. Jordan Lucas added six kills (.056), one dig, and one block, while setter Owen Douphner handed out 19 assists along with three digs and a pair of blocks.
CSUN wound up hitting just .051 (24-20-79) as a team while being out-blocked 12.5-3.5.
The Matadors trailed 4-3 early in the opening set, when the hosts outscored CSUN 11-4 over the next 15 points to take a 15-7 lead into the media timeout. A Hawai'i hitting error out of the timeout pulled the Matadors within seven (15-8), but the Rainbow Warriors quickly built their lead back to as many as nine (19-10). CSUN would rally late, pulling to within four at 23-19 on a Phillips kill and a Hawai'i hitting error before the hosts claimed a 25-20 win.
After hitting .179 in the opening set, CSUN saw its percentages slip to .071 in the second and -.130 in the third as the Warriors ramped up their block.
Hawaii (25-4, 8-1), which claimed at least a share of the Big West regular season title with the win, countered with a .315 hitting percentage, led by Kainoa Wade and Adrien Roure, who had 10 and nine kills, respectively. Wade hit .421 on 19 swings, while Roure hit .312 on 16 attacks.
The Rainbow Warriors also controlled the service line, posting eight aces, while limiting the Matadors to one ace as CSUN committed 10 service errors in the loss.
Defensively, libero Joao Avila tied for match-high honors with six digs.
UP NEXT
The same two teams conclude the season series on Saturday in Honolulu. First serve is scheduled for 10 p.m. PT (7 p.m. local time) Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
#GoMatadors
