Risk Taker: How Tread Rosenthal Boldly Left High School Early to Join Hawaii Volleyball Team and Became Big West Freshman of the Year

At the age of 17, Tread Rosenthal made a bold decision to leave high school early and join the college volleyball team at the University of Hawaii. This risk paid off when he was named Big West Freshman of the Year, becoming the first player from Hawaii to receive this honor.

Standing at 6-foot-8, Rosenthal hails from Manhattan Beach, California, and is a member of the U.S. junior national team. Throughout the season, he demonstrated his skills by earning All-Big West first-team honors and receiving a record six Big West Freshman of the Week awards. Despite some rookie mistakes, Rosenthal excelled in various aspects of the game, leading the team in service aces and assists per set.

While this was the first time a Hawaii player was named Big West Freshman of the Year, it marked an end to UH’s streak for Big West player of the year awards as UC Irvine’s Hilir Henno received the honor. Unfortunately, UH’s season came to an end in the Big West semifinals at the hands of UC Irvine, marking an end to their four-year NCAA Tournament appearance streak. The NCAA Tournament is set to begin on April 30 at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid, where teams will compete for the national title.