Wahine look for a challenge

Two 40-something streaks are on the line tonight when 11th-ranked Hawaii takes on Fresno State in a Western Athletic Conference volleyball match at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Still, the Rainbow Wahine’s most imposing challenge might be themselves.

This is Hawaii’s final year in the WAC. It has lost just four regular-season matches since joining the conference in 1996.

UH (13-1, 3-0 WAC) comes into tonight’s match with a 44-match regular-season conference winning streak, best in the country. It hasn’t lost since Oct. 12, 2008, against New Mexico State. Coincidentally, it plays the Aggies in Las Cruces, N.M., on Oct. 12 of this year, in a match that will be shown on ESPNU.

The Bulldogs (7-7, 2-0) are oh-for-Hawaii, losing all 49 matches in the series. It is a record for UH-based futility, but they are hardly the only oh-for-Hawaii team in the conference. The Wahine have been that dominant.

"They’ve got the makings of a final-four team," Nevada coach Ruth Lawanson said after her team was swept here Thursday. "We didn’t really challenge them, so it was hard to tell, but they’ve got the potential. Unfortunately for them, because of our conference, they won’t be challenged like they need to be to get them ready for the next step.

"It’s hard to deal with that. You have to get some of those players who you might need later on, some playing time. That’s all you can do."

UH coach Dave Shoji gave freshmen Kalei Adolpho and Lizzie Blake two sets worth Thursday. He could look at a few more faces tonight, if the Wahine start fast and find a way around Brianna Clarke, FSU’s Preseason All-WAC pick in the middle, a host of hitters and the Bulldogs’ WAC-best serving.

Fresno needed five sets to beat Nevada and San Jose State, making it 2-0 in the WAC for the first time since 2003.

It has won its last three without injured hitter Marissa Brand, fourth in the WAC at nearly four kills a set.

"Fresno’s got a couple of players we need to pay attention to, so that will get us focused," Shoji says. "But really, it’s more about us now in the WAC season. We’ve got to get better, got to look sharp."

Note

» Hawaii continues to lead the country in attendance, as it has since moving into the Stan Sheriff Center in 1994. The Wahine were averaging 6,659 fans a match going into this week’s matches. Nebraska was second at 5,137. No other team is averaging more than 4,000.