Filming took place in April 2024.
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, New Jersey – The Vulcans are headed to the big screen.
This past spring, the Hawai'i Hilo Men's Tennis team welcomed camera production crews on campus to cover and document the annual highly-anticipated home match with HPU.
Dubbed as "The Aloha Rivalry," LG Electronics USA in partnership with the NCAA has released the newest episode of season two of "The Rivalries," an original docu-series highlighting lesser-known but no less intense rivalries in college sports. The episode featuring the Hawai'i Hilo and HPU men's tennis teams premiered Thursday afternoon and is now available for free on-demand streaming on the NCAA Championships Channel (Channel 100) via LG Channels on LG Smart TVs.
Episode description reads: "In the middle of the Pacific, two of the best NCAA DII tennis teams, the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and HPU, compete not just for national championships, but also for the title of Hawai'i's best. This rivalry stands out with its laid-back aloha spirit where respect and camaraderie shine. As they prepare for their biannual showdown, we witness a thrilling yet friendly clash, where even in defeat, both teams celebrate Hawai'i's success."
"We've had some pretty big success in the past years and I'm fortunate to call ourselves rivals with HPU," former six-year Hawai'i Hilo Tennis head coach Kallen Mizuguchi said. "I think many times we had some very close competitive matches and I think that it redefines what a rivalry can be. Obviously the guys are going to battle it out on the courts, but as soon as they step off the court, they're friends. They talk about classes, they talk about Hawai'i and they hang out on their vacations. They're all from all over the world so I think that also helps — they're so far from home but they share the same struggles."
A Hilo native, Mizuguchiplayed four seasons on the Hawai'i Hilo Men's Tennis team from 2011-2015 before taking over as head coach in 2019.
The 2024 Vulcans squad had nine of their 10 rostered players listed as from international hometowns. HPU's roster has shared a similar makeup over the years as well.
"It's amazing not just for the team, but also for UH Hilo just to be in a documentary like that," Vulcans junior Agustin Gentile said, who hails from Buenos Aires. "It was weird. We just have the tennis coach on the court and that's pretty much it, but then we have microphones on the fence. We were talking with teammates and we couldn't say bad words but it was super funny. We were practicing at home too. They were just following us everywhere and it was awkward, but it was funny. It was such a good experience."
The two teams have butted heads over recent years as HPU has managed to claim five Pacific West Conference titles since 2014. Hawai'i Hilo had back-to-back runner-up finishes before breaking through for its first PacWest Championship in 2021.
On the national level, the Sharks managed to win it all in 2016 while the Vulcans have made four NCAA Division II Men's Tennis National Championship appearances since 2018 — twice finishing as a semifinalist.
"The Aloha Rivalry" covers an April 6, 2024 matchup in which the Vulcans were narrowly defeated, 4-3, at home. The two teams were scheduled to face each other again the following day to close out the regular season, but inclement weather canceled the rematch.
Also featured are Vulcansplayers Ryo Minakata, Lamar Bartley andLuca Matheiowetz in addition to director of athletics Patrick Guillen and associate AD and former tennis head coach Kula Oda.
LG PRESENTS: THE RIVALRIES
"LG is focused on bringing unique content to its LG Smart TV owners and sharing more 'Life's Good'moments with our consumers," said Jeannie Lee, director of Corporate Marketing at LG Electronics USA. "In developing The Rivalries, we noticed that so much already existed to cover top-tier Division I college sports and men's competitions. We wanted to leverage LG Channels to spotlight student-athletes competing in rivalries across emerging sports, bringing attention to all of the smaller but no less mighty rivalries that exist today in other college divisions. These awards are a testament to the impact of The Rivalries and the dedication of our partners who have shared LG's vision and brought this series to life."
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