The second-ranked Warriors fell to 11-3 overall and 9-2 in the MPSF.

The Warriors served for match point four times in Game 5 — at 14-13, 15-14, 16-15 and 18-17 — but, in the end, had no answer for outside hitter Sean Rooney and the Waves' imposing block.

Rooney put down a match-high 28 kills, including aloha point when UH's Mauli'a LaBarre touched a crossing shot, and contributed to nine of the Waves' 27.5 blocks.

Rooney, who is usually reserved, further infuriated the Warriors with his demonstrative celebrations.

"He's certainly a good player," UH outside hitter Matt Bender said. "We saw some trash talk going on, some unsportsmanlike conduct, but that's the league you play in. ... But when you have the game to back it up, I guess you can do that kind of stuff."

Rooney was apologetic after the match, and admitted "in Game 5, emotions ran high. I think some person says something and another person takes it out of context. I've never been one to get after somebody or get into it with somebody. But after the match, it's all back to normal."

At 6 feet 9, Rooney was part of a rotation whose average hitter is 6 feet 7 — a figured skewed by 6-2 John Mayer, who moved from setter during fall training.

Mayer said he is "probably" 6-2, in shoes.

"The program says he's 6-2, but he's probably 5-11," Pepperdine coach Marv Dunphy said. "He's a volleyball rat and, on top of that, a very nice kid."

Mayer used a quick, left-handed swing to hammer 15 kills (against two errors) and hit .481.

"I've got a good setter and some big guys around me," Mayer said. "I try to hold my own."

UH coach Mike Wilton said: "Mayer is a very smart hitter, very cagey."

Mayer also is an efficient read-blocker. He had six block assists.

That made for a night during which every UH swing was challenged. In Game 5, the Waves amassed eight rejections.

Bender was blocked twice late in the match.

"I kind of blew it there at the end," Bender said. "Becky (setter Brian Beckwith) was making good sets, but I wasn't making clutch swings. I got blocked a few times. That's unacceptable against a good team, like Pepperdine. They're big and they're good blockers, but that doesn't dictate how you swing. We've played big teams before. We have to be smart."

UH tried to mix up its offense after Pepperdine planted its block early. Instead of relying on high sets near the net, where UH's perimeter hitters were in the shadow of the Pepperdine block, Beckwith tried to feed the attackers in the back row.

The strategy worked in Games 2 and 4, but the Waves' block was too active in the final game. Even LaBarre, UH's tallest player at 6 feet 9, was stuffed twice.

"Sometimes you do everything you can and it doesn't work," LaBarre said. "That's life. They were tall and they had triple blocks all over the place. I'm going up and I see six hands across."

UH led 18-17 in Game 5, but Rooney tied it with a line shot from the left side.

The Waves then went ahead for good when Tom Hulse and Jonathan Winder blocked Bender.

"I think both teams had peaks and valleys, but our valleys were more pronounced," Wilton said.