COLUMBUS, Ohio (KHON2) — WarriorBall25 started their journey to the national championship on Thursday, May 8 and they were not alone.
KHON2 is in Ohio to give folks back in the Islands a look at how the University of Hawaii’s fans turned game day into something special.
Thursday’s game was much tighter than UH expected it to be, but the ‘Bows knocked off Penn State in four sets to advance to the semifinals on Saturday, May 10.
The team’s day started with a prep rally in downtown Columbus, and KHON2 stopped by to catch up with local residents who made the long trip from home.
Hawaii fans who made the journey thousands of miles from the islands said they take home with them when it comes to UH Volleyball.
“We just love our island and it’s that special bond that we have with the state of Hawaii from our ancestors, our parents and our grandparents that bring us,” said longtime fan Lane ‘Big G’ Goeas, “the one word is aloha spirit!”
That spirit was on full display as scores gathered hours before the first serve. Many of them were longtime fans who had followed the team for decades.
“That team is amazing. And we go, the volleyball team, that’s our date night. And that started when my son was born and he’s 28 now,” said Grace Wilson, who is attending her third NCAA championship. “We are family. Once you become a Hawaii fan, everybody is family.”
That word — family — meant more than ever for starting middle blocker Kurt Nusterer, as going to college on the islands can be pretty isolating.
“It was the biggest sacrifice when I moved out to Hawaii and I lost my grandma this year. I didn’t get to go to her funeral to see all my family,” Nusterer said. “So to finally be out here and getting to see, that’s my cousins’ kids, so my grandma’s great grandkids that I’ve never met before. It means the world to me that they got to see that.”
The ‘Bows may have had to dig deep to finish off Penn State in four sets, but they will stay alive in the tournament and in Columbus for at least one more match.
KHON2 asked head coach Charlie Wade about how good it feels to not go home right away.
“Yeah,” Wade said. “They had us on a 7 a.m. to Atlanta tomorrow and I told the person in shorts, that’s reason enough to win right there! But it’s, you know, couldn’t be prouder of this group to get us to this point.
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A much tougher opponent lays ahead for the ‘Bows — The next game against third seed UCLA will take place at 2 p.m. Hawaii time on Saturday. The game will be available on ESPN+ on TV or ESPN Honolulu on the radio.