Wahine might shuffle lineup

The match was winnable.

The problems are fixable.

And the attitude is changeable.

Sunday’s first loss of the season to then-No. 25 California did not create a sense of panic for the Hawaii women’s volleyball team, which opened a new week of practice with a new ranking of No. 9.

The drop of three spots in the AVCA coaches poll was no more of a concern than heading into the Verizon Challenge at 5-1.

But that doesn’t mean that static is the status quo. When San Diego State faces Hawaii on Friday the Aztecs could be facing a tweaked Rainbow Wahine lineup, one that would have junior Emily Hartong making another position move, this from left-side to right-side hitter.

There’s also the chance of a move Wahine coach Dave Shoji would rather not make. That of activating true freshman hitter Tai Manu-Olevao, thus burning her redshirt year in the third week of the season.

"We’re still talking about it and she has a good attitude about it either way," Shoji said of the 6-foot three-time All-State selection out of Punahou. "She could be our best athlete as a hitter.

"I think Hartong would be an outstanding right, but we need to have that production on the left. I thought Ashley (junior transfer Kastl) played well Sunday, had nine kills, which is the most we’ve gotten out of the right this year. We’re still evaluating that position."

Shoji described Tuesday morning’s practice as the best of the season. The loss was a wake-up call, junior setter Mita Uiato said.

"We had a little pep talk before practice this morning and we’re refocused," she said. "We’re not letting anyone back off in practice; everyone has to put in 110 percent every day.

"It wasn’t cockiness last week. We just let ourselves down by letting up. We didn’t peak (in the tournament) like we did the previous weekend (when beating then-No. 6 Stanford). We could have beaten Cal, but we didn’t. We will remember that, but we also need to let it go."

Still, the match-ending play will haunt Hawaii awhile. What looked to be an ace serve by Wahine libero Ali Longo was somehow returned by the Golden Bears, just over the tape, just inside of the antenna, just inside the court in front of Kastl. Instead of it being 14-13, it was a crowd-silencing 15-12 stunner by Cal.

"That play did not kill the match for us, but it definitely summed it up," Longo said. "They got the ball up; they had a lot of ‘ups’ that made you ask, ‘How did they do that?’

"Cal played better against us than they had all weekend. We made a lot of mistakes, and we’re working on those. We could have been more solid with our passing so that Mita can run our middles when we need and not have to rely on Hartong and Jane (sophomore hitter Croson) with all those high balls out there."

The Verizon Challenge is the last of Hawaii’s nonconference tournaments, with the field maybe the best of the three. San Diego State (5-0), coached by former Wahine All-American Deitre Collins-Parker, is off to its best start since 2001; former WAC foe Idaho is 2-5, but three of those losses were in five sets; and then there’s defending national champion and third-ranked UCLA (3-1), coached by former UH associate coach Mike Sealy.

The series with the Bruins began in 1974, the first year of the Wahine program. The teams have played every year since, with Hawaii leading 36-33; UCLA won last season in four, handing the Wahine their first loss in six matches.

Many of the Hawaii players who were recruited by Sealy have that memory. Longo has another: She was Penn State’s libero last December when UCLA eliminated the four-time defending champions in the regional semifinals in three sets.

"That was a bitter loss," said Longo, who had 10 digs against the Bruins. "They played well at the end of the season, really turned it on at the end."