The University of Hawaiʻi men’s volleyball team received a key to the city of Honolulu and special recognition from state leaders for winning the NCAA volleyball championship for a second straight year.
The team traveled by trolley to Washington Place where Gov. David Ige presented Head Coach Charlie Wade and the team with a proclamation honoring their national titles. The team then dropped in at Honolulu Hale, where Mayor Rick Blangiardi presented the team with a key to the city.
The team, cheerleaders and pep band headed over to downtown to greet fans for some photos and autographs. Hundreds of fans cheered the team as they made their way through the streets and to the rally.
The team wrapped up the festivities with a drive through Waikīkī before returning to the UH Mānoa campus. The celebratory procession and rally comes in the wake of the team’s dominating win over Long Beach State University in the NCAA finals.
The team showed resiliency through a difficult season marked with injuries and bouts of COVID-19. The entire set of starters will return next season including first team All-American and Big West player of the year setter Jakob Thelle, second team All-Americans outside hitter Spyros Chakas and middle blocker Guilherme Voss and opposite hitter Dimitrios Mouchlias who received honorable mention nods.
