Even when Michelle Waber was starting last year, for a Hawaii team ranked in the top six until the final poll, she looked like she should be gracing the pages of a fashion magazine, not launching volleyballs to earn a place on the conference’s all-freshman team.

She is 6 feet 3 and might not weigh more than her roommate, tiny Rainbow Wahine setter Mita Uiato. It is as if their dorm room were cut off from the kitchen.

Coaches described Waber as wiry and wise last season. She is not a power player and her presence is anything but intimidating.

Now, her presence is in the background. Just before the season started, after a few weeks of soul-searching and analysis — both physical and heartbreakingly emotional — Waber asked UH coach Dave Shoji if she could redshirt. Shoji agreed, anxious to have his all-conference freshman bulk up for her final three years and all too aware he would have two senior hitters departing in December.

He also knew Waber had more on her mind than lifting heavier weights and being "quicker to the ball." Her father, Alan, was diagnosed with cancer in the past year.

"There was a lot of stress going on, a lot," Waber says. "I started thinking about it (redshirting) toward the end of double-days. I thought it was a good option. Less stress, get to have fun, work on my game, get stronger for next year, without having to worry so much."

Waber went from starter to scrimmage player, but mostly she went into the weight room. The redshirts’ schedule — freshmen Jade Vorster and Ginger Long are also using their fifth year this season — seems to consist mostly of lifting heavy weights and doing the heavy lifting in practice so starters can get the most out of it.

They lift four times a week. While the team was on the road they were in the weight room or gym by 7 a.m. When the team is here, watching film, redshirts are lifting, or serving, passing and scrimmaging.

When UH practices in the afternoon, the redshirts are still up at the crack of dawn.

"A lot of mornings I have to wake up early and go lift," Waber says. "I come back and Mita is still sleeping and I’m so jealous."

UH strength and conditioning coordinator Tommy Heffernan gives them a schedule to follow, then "grinds on them" to increase the weights every week. On Fridays, they go to the field to push football sleds.

"Those used to be my worst enemy," Waber says, "but I’m getting better at it."

Recently, she "power cleaned the blue plates" for the first time, lifting 135 pounds. Waber was giddy.

"I’m telling Tommy my guns are getting out of control," she says with a grin. "They’re getting a little bigger. Really, they are."

Progress playing in the background is tougher to gauge. The redshirts are clearly still part of the Wahine, but it is different. Waber focuses on being supportive and "wanting everybody to play to their full potential … whoever needs to play should be in there."

The player who has never before been on the bench misses the on-court celebrations and pregame jitters. She finds herself watching objectively, almost like a coach, and seeing bigger holes in the block and defense than she did as a freshman starter on one of the country’s best teams.

It’s a strange and educational sensation. "Now I’m seeing the game more as a whole. It’s cool," Waber says. "I guess I’m learning more about it."

This year has been full of learning experiences, and shifting priorities. Her thoughts are never far from her family in Wildomar, Calif., east of Irvine. Her father’s last biopsy was better. Emotions are everywhere.

"It’s kind of tough, but he’s a strong guy," Waber says. "He went through chemo. It was hard seeing him on Skype like that. Weird. It’s like one of those things that’s not going to happen to your dad.

"But he’s a strong guy."

Notes

» Notre Dame (11-6) plays nonconference matches against eighth-ranked Hawaii (17-1) today and Tuesday, at 7 p.m., at the Stan Sheriff Center. The teams have two common opponents. Notre Dame and UH both beat Idaho in four. The Irish fell to Cincinnati, which was swept by UH.

» Notre Dame was picked to finish second in the 15-team Big East, but lost three of its first four to fall below .500 for the first time since joining the conference in 1995. It is 4-3 now, and led by senior Kristen Dealy, who became the eighth player in school history with 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs a month ago.

» If the Rainbow Wahine host a subregional this year, it will be played Dec. 1 and 2 (Thursday and Friday) at the Stan Sheriff Center. Hawaii is hosting a regional the following weekend (Dec. 9-10).