Delano Thomas posted a match-high 23 kills and the Warriors shook off an erratic Friday night performance to bust loose for a 30-28, 30-17, 30-26 victory at the Stan Sheriff Center.

A crowd of 2,850 watched the Warriors (14-8) snap their three-match losing streak and avenge a five-game loss to the Lancers Friday night. California Baptist (17-3), the top-ranked team in the NAIA, lost for the first time in its past 18 matches.

"I think our guys handled the game plan to a tee," Hawai'i coach Mike Wilton said. "We played a lot steadier tonight. There were less pronounced peaks and valleys to our performance."

The Warriors, ranked No. 5 in the NCAA, hit .422 for the match and sent an early message to the Lancers by winning Game 1.

"I thought the first game was key for us," said 27-year-old California Baptist head coach Ryan McGuyre. "If we didn't get Game 1, we knew it was going to be a long night because we were tired and drained."

California Baptist's Seidu Ajanako finished with 15 kills, Shaun Dyk 13 and Shamsu Awudu 10. Hawai'i's Matt Bender posted 13 kills, and Thomas hit .655 with setter Kimo Tuyay at the controls.

"Kimo set really well tonight," Thomas said. "The location was perfect. It gave me free range to swing and I could see the block."

For the fourth consecutive match, Hawai'i used a patchwork starting lineup that was without starters José José Delgado and Pedro Azenha. The two players along with Thomas and Dionisio Dante were reinstated Monday by Wilton after serving a two-match suspension for violating an undisclosed team rule.

Last night, Thomas started his second straight match and Azenha was used as a designated server. Delgado and Dante did not play. Outside hitter Ryan Woodward started in place of Delgado and Bender replaced Azenha at opposite.

Wilton last night deflected questions about the playing status of Delgado and Azenha, and instead focused on the strong play of their replacements.

"I think it's far more important to take a look at the people who are playing in front of them," Wilton sad. "They're doing a fabulous job. So that's the end of the discussion. What you saw tonight is our lineup clearly. It's clearly our lineup."

Added Tuyay: "It's important to have those guys back. But right now we proved that we can play without them. That's good in the long run. When they do come back, they're only going to make our team even better."

In Game 1, Hawai'i broke a 28-all tie and scored the final two points off a service error and hitting error by the Lancers. On game point, Tuyay crashed onto the scorer's table and saved a ball, and the Lancers eventually mis-hit the ball into the net.

After dominating Game 2, Hawai'i overcame a 19-18 deficit in the final game to rally past the Lancers. In Games 2 and 3, Hawaii hit .500.

"Hawai'i just tore us apart," McGuyre said. "We couldn't get our middles going. Most everything was antenna to antenna. And that's them serving tougher than they did last night."

Hawai'i cleaned up its serving last night and committed only four errors, compared to 21 in the five-game loss Friday night. The Warriors also outblocked the Lancers, 10.5 to 3.5.

"Our serving and our blocking did us really well," said Tuyay, who had 42 assists in the three-game match. "(Mauli'a LaBarre) got some blocks (four block assists) and I got some lucky ones. I think we played just really consistent tonight. I think that's what got us the win."