PROVO -- Less than two weeks removed from traveling all the way back to Hawai'i after dropping back-to-back matches at BYU, the Warriors will return to Provo in a rematch with the top-ranked Cougars. This time, the rankings are reversed and chance to play for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship and automatic bid to the NCAA tournament are at stake.
When Hawai'i traveled to Provo on April 13-14, the Warriors were ranked No. 1 and the Cougars held the No. 2 ranking. After BYU defeated UH in back-to-back matches, BYU (21-3) reclaimed the nation's top ranking and Hawai'i (18-6) dropped to No. 2 and became the No. 4 seed in the MPSF Tournament.
The Cougars advanced to the semifinal round after defeating eighth-seeded UC Irvine on Saturday, 3-1. Hawai'i easily disposed of fifth-seed USC, 3-0, to earn its second trip to Provo this season. The two rivals will meet in the second of two matches on Thursday, April 26, beginning at 7:30 p.m. (MDT). In the first semifinal matchup, No. 2 seed Long Beach State (18-6) will take on the third seed, UCLA (21-7), beginning at 5 p.m. (MDT). Long Beach State advanced after knocking off Pepperdine, 3-0, while the Bruins needed five games to avoid a third straight loss to Stanford.
Both matches will be played in the Smith Fieldhouse, located on the BYU campus in Provo, Utah. Tickets are available for Thursday's matches, beginning on Monday, April 23. A two-session pass is available for $11 for adults and $6 for students. (Individual match tickets are not available for Thursday's match). Tickets for the championship round on Saturday, April 28, are also available for $10 (adults) and $5 (students). Both reserved and general admission seats are available. Fans can purchase tickets in advance by contacting the BYU ticket office at (801) 378-BYU1 or toll free, (800) 322-BYU1.