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University of Hawaii opposite hitter Dimitrios Mouchlias reacts during the Rainbow Warriors’ five-set victory over Penn State in the national semifinals Thursday in Fairfax, Va. AP photos

Win or lose, the University of Hawaii men’s volleyball had not had to go the distance in any match this season.

Put to the test, the Rainbow Warriors (29-2) showed their championship mettle and now have the opportunity to do something that hasn’t been accomplished in 40 years.

Dimitrios Mouchlias put down a match-high 25 kills, and the second-seeded Warriors recovered after losing a 2-0 lead in sets to defeat Penn State 25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 23-25, 15-10 in the national semifinals Thursday at Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, Va.

The Rainbow Warriors advance to Saturday’s national title match against top-seeded UCLA with a chance to become the first winner of three straight championships since the Bruins won the third of four straight crowns in 1983.

Hawaii outside hitter Chaz Galloway hits against the Penn State block Thursday.

Chaz Galloway added 11 kills and 12 digs, and recently crowned AVCA national player of the year Jakob Thelle dished out 42 assists as UH hit .298 for the match, its first of the season that went to a winner-take-all fifth set.

The Nittany Lions (27-4) came into the match boasting one of just two wins over the two-time defending national champions this year, having defeated the Rainbow Warriors in four sets in the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational on March 10.

Thursday’s match was also a battle throughout.

The first set was tight until the Rainbow Warriors went on a 7-0 run to go ahead 23-18 and closed it out on kills from Guilherme Voss and Galloway. UH outhit Penn State .409-.037 in the set.

It was tied 18-18 in the second before the Warriors got some separation with a 4-1 run capped by a Cole Hogland kill. A Nittany Lions service error gave UH set point at 24-22, and another service error handed Hawaii the set a couple points later.

UH fans waive ti leaves and Hawaii state flags as they cheer on the Rainbow Warriors.

Faced with a must-win situation, Penn State rebounded by taking control early in the third set, using a 6-0 run to take a 7-4 lead. The Nittany Lions later extended the lead to 19-12 and 24-15.

UH took back the momentum at the start of the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead behind a run of three straight kills from Mouchlias. But Penn State’s 9-1 run put the Nittany Lions back up 14-12, and the match remained close until the final points. A Mouchlias kill put UH ahead 22-21, but Penn State scored the next three points and eventually sent the match to a fifth set with a kill from Cal Fisher.

The Rainbow Warriors got an ace and kill from Spyros Chakas to take a 4-1 lead in the fifth, and later led 8-3 after an ace from Mouchlias. The Nittany Lions got as close as 11-8, but the teams sided out from there, and back-to-back kills from Chakas and Thelle sent UH to the championship match.

Libero Brett Sheward had 10 digs, and Thelle and Mouchlias each added eight digs for UH, which overcame 21 errors from the service line. Voss notched a match-high six blocks.

Brett Wildman led the Nittany Lions with 15 kills and seven of his team’s 12 aces. Fisher finished with 14 kills.

Hawaii opposite hitter Cole Hogland rises to hit a ball set by Jakob Thelle.

Saturday’s title tilt will be a rematch of an Outrigger tournament meeting back on March 11, won by UH in four sets.

*****

NCAA TOURNAMENT

At Fairfax, Va.

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

Thursday’s Results

No. 1 UCLA def. Long Beach St. 25-16, 25-14, 25-19

No. 2 Hawaii def. Penn St. 25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 23-25, 15-10

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday’s Match (HST)

Hawaii vs. UCLA, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)

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