Top-ranked UH men’s volleyball team scheduled to start season Feb. 21-22

In less than two weeks, the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball team will be starting its season with a four-match, nonconference road trip.

The team released its tentative schedule Thursday, an announcement that has been long anticipated for a Rainbow Warriors squad that has national title hopes after having its 2020 season halted — and its 2021 season delayed —due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UH returns a stacked roster that includes King Kekaulike High School graduate Colton Cowell, an AVCA All-America second-team selection and first-team all-Big West Conference pick.

The Big West schedule includes 10 league matches. However, the teams are allowed to schedule additional nonconference matches against one another. Some of those matches have not yet been finalized.

UH, ranked No. 2 in the AVCA coaches poll and No. 1 in the Off the Block media poll, is scheduled to kick off the season Feb. 21-22 with a pair of matches at UC Irvine and then matches Feb. 24-25 at UC San Diego. These are deemed nonconference, with the conference matchups coming March 26-27 (UC San Diego) and April 16-17 (UC Irvine) at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

The rest of Hawaii’s conference schedule includes road matches at Cal State Northridge (March 11-2) and at UC Santa Barbara (April 910), and home matches against Long Beach State (April 2-3).

The Big West tournament, scheduled for April 22-24, will be held at Stan Sheriff Center.

Also on Thursday, the Rainbow Warriors were the unanimous No. 1 in the Big West preseason coaches poll, followed by UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge.