When it was over, Hawaii men’s volleyball coach Charlie Wade chose to look back at the journey as a whole, not just the previous couple of hours.
Few would argue with his assertion that the season, which began Jan. 5, was a step forward for the program. That fact that it ended with three small, yet quick, steps backward did little to quell his pride.
Playing the defending national champion and tournament top seed on its home court Thursday, the Rainbow Warriors lost a close first set and then were overwhelmed by Ohio State, falling 25-23, 25-18, 25-19 in the NCAA semifinals in Columbus, Ohio.