The University of Hawaii volleyball team’s payback plans apparently do not come with interest.

In last year’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinals, Stanford used a mostly Hawaii-raised lineup to oust the Warriors.

The teams meet tonight and Sunday afternoon in the Stan Sheriff Center, but the Warriors insist they are not motivated by revenge.

"I think the only time anyone feels any revenge is if, ‘Oh, I was disrespected,’" UH head coach Charlie Wade said. "We don’t sense that. I don’t think we were dissed by them. They knew they were going to be good last year, and they’re good this year."

Citing the Corleone code, UH associate head coach Dan Fisher said: "It’s not personal."

Seven Stanford players are graduates of Hawaii high schools.

"We know a lot of their guys." Fisher said. "A lot of their families come (to UH matches). They’re volleyball fans."

Indeed, there are strong ties between the teams. Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji is the father of Erik Shoji, the Cardinal’s All-America libero. KFVE color commentator Chris McLachlin’s son, Spencer, is the Cardinal’s starting left-side hitter.

This season, the Warriors have tried to incorporate elements of the Cardinal’s quick-to-the-pins offense.

The transition game has not been an easy transition for the Warriors. Too often they tried to force a fast tempo even in less-than-ideal circumstances.

"If it’s a perfect pass, you can play it a little faster," UH setter Nejc Zemljak said. "If the pass and the approach are not perfect, you have to slow it down."

Wade has emphasized that the Warriors do not have to rush. Opposite attacker Jonas Umlauft, who is 6 feet 9, and left-side hitter Joshua Walker, who has a 44-inch vertical jump and can touch 11 feet 8, are weapons on high but slower sets.

"When (passes or digs) start coming off the net, you have to get some air underneath (the sets)," Wade said. "Josh Walker touches 11-8. Let’s not bring the ball to where the block is. Let him go up and crack it. When you’re perfect pass and in system, then everybody can go fast."

In this week’s practices, the Warriors worked on matching the attack with the situation.

"Charlie and I are of the school of finding the right set for each hitter, as opposed to where there has to be a system kind of deal." Fisher said.

The Warriors have experimented between two rotations. Against Ball State, in which they committed 31 attack errors, the Warriors used outside hitter Steven Hunt as a primary passer. The next night, Hunt and Walker flip-flopped spots. In the new rotation, Walker received more sets to the back left and middle, but was required to pass more. With Umlauft out against UCLA because of a stomach virus, the Warriors reverted to the first-night rotation.

Stanford also has tweaked its strategy to compensate for the departures of setter Kawika Shoji, the nation’s best player in 2010, and opposite attacker Evan Romero. With Erik Shoji’s consistently accurate passing and Kawika Shoji’s placements, the Cardinal ran the NCAA’s quickest offense en route to a national championship.

Now their offense is a little more measured, due in part to the new system. Most rotations have an outside hitter follow the setter. Against Brigham Young, Stanford’s rotation placed freshman middle blocker Eric Mochalski after setter Evan Barry.

But for all of the changes, Stanford remains one of the top programs. Barry is in his third year at Stanford. Romero’s replacement, Brian Cook, is a decorated freshman who helped Bay to Bay become the first club to go undefeated in every NorCal Volleyball Association tournament in 2010. His sister is the setter for the Cardinal women’s team.

And McLachlin of Punahou School and Brad Lawson of ‘Iolani School are both skilled attackers, blockers and defenders.

"It’s going to be a challenge," Wade said.