For the University of Hawai'i volleyball team, the sequel was better than the original.

A night after losing the regular-season opener in three games to UC Santa Barbara, the Warriors rebounded to win the rematch, 36-34, 28-30, 30-28, 30-21, in the Gauchos' Robertson Gym.

"It was really a good night for us," UH opposite hitter Lauri Hakala said, adding that in the opening-night match, "a lot of the guys were nervous and frustrated. It was our first (match), and it was on the road. We weren't used to the atmosphere on the court. We played more as individuals than as a team. This time, we tried to have fun, and we did."

On Friday, UH's starting left-side hitters — José José Delgado and Matt Carere — combined to hit .000. Last night, the three corner hitters — Carere, Eric Kalima and Hakala — each hit better than .500. Hakala and Carere had 23 kills apiece, and Kalima, a converted libero who started in place of Delgado, buried 11 kills in 16 swings.

"They were pretty efficient," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "The main reason is we passed the ball so well. When that happens, you can be in system."

The Warriors also appeared to be fresher. Because of budget constraints, they arrived at their hotel at 1:30 a.m. Friday. Yesterday, they opted to skip a morning practice at Robertson. Instead, they watched a digital recording of Friday's match, then attended a barbeque prepared by one of Wilton's former players. "It was an outstanding meal," Wilton said.

The Warriors worked off the calories by trying to slow the Gauchos' one-two attack of Evan Patak, a 6-foot-8 opposite hitter who can slam a volleyball at speeds of up to 65 mph, and left-side attacker Bryan Berman.

Patak put down 25 kills — he took 57 of the Gauchos' 146 swings — and pounded seven aces.

"He has a world-class serve," Hakala said. "He can make a difference in any league in the world. He's a big powerful guy, and it's not unusual for a big guy to hit hard. But he's also pretty agile."

Still, the Warriors withstood the Gauchos' barrage of shots, giving setter Brian Beckwith a menu of options.

"They were the team I watched in the gym every day since September," Wilton said. "Unlike (Friday) night, when we had several players who just struggled, we played with some good resolve. I think our guys were so heart-broken and sick over what happened (Friday) night, they did a good job of preparing for this match."

The Warriors return to Hono-lulu today, then resume practicing tomorrow in preparation for this week's Outrigger Invitational in the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Warriors play Penn State Wednesday, Ohio State on Thursday and UCLA on Friday.