The BYU men’s volleyball team had to battle more than just a confident Hawaii team last weekend on the road.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile over the weekend triggered strong waves across the Pacific, resulting in a tsunami warning across the region.

The earthquake sped up the Earth’s rotation and was 600 times stronger than the earthquake in Haiti.

Unluckily for BYU, the team was located right in the path of the earthquake-created tsunami.
After dropping their Friday night match 3-2, the Cougars were planning on getting a little bit of rest before their Saturday night match in Maui.

“When we finished up Friday, I watched the news cause they were talking about the tsunami warning as a result of the earthquake,” coach Shawn Patchell said.

Although it was apparent to the team that the state could be hit by a tsunami that experts predicted could reach nine feet in height, no major actions were taken until early Saturday morning.

“I had several friends call me at five in the morning to tell me of the warning,” Patchell said. “We got up and packed at six and were evacuated to the gym in Maui where we were supposed to play.”

After being moved to the Maui War Memorial Gym, the team found out Saturday’s match was canceled.

“We prepared to play on Saturday, but then when they canceled it was a logistical nightmare,” Patchell said.

Patchell acknowledged the pandemonium set off by having to totally change flight, hotel and itinerary plans created a major distraction for the team.

The distraction may have had a lot to do with the Cougars’ uninspired play in their rescheduled Monday night match, which ended in a 3-0 loss.

But for Patchell and the Cougars, minds were mainly set on the safety of the team and family members throughout the weekend.

“It was hard,” Patchell said. “There were some parents that were in Maui already, so the guys were worried.”

According to Patchell, the team was never really told what was going on as they expected the worst from the warning.

“No one was out, police were patrolling all over,” Patchell said. “It was like being in a military state or lockdown.”

To the relief of the team, the expected nine-foot waves ended up being a false alarm, as no tsunami ever hit Hawaii.

But the events over the weekend turned what should have been an exciting road trip into a trip full of uncertainty and nervous moments for BYU.