Cal Poly provided eighth-ranked Hawaii an ideal opportunity to work on its volleyball makeover Friday. The Rainbow Wahine dealt the Mustangs their 12th straight loss, 25-15, 25-17, 17-25, 25-19, before 488 at Mott Gymnasium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Playing without Jane Croson — suspended indefinitely for a team violation — the Wahine (13-2, 6-0 Big West) got 20 kills from Emily Hartong and a double-double from Ashley Kastl (11 kills, 10 digs) to remain unbeaten in the Big West.

Those were UH career highs for Kastl, a transfer from Arizona State.

"I think Ashley, in Jane’s place, had a really good night passing," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "She had one reception error, but she was pretty solid all night. She got some kills, played pretty good defense. It’s hard to judge us after tonight, but obviously it’s the way we’ve got to go and win without her (Croson)."

Freshman Jade Vorster added 11 kills while hitting .500 and Kalei Adolpho, Hawaii’s other first-year starter in the middle, was in on half Hawaii’s 10 blocks.

Punahou graduate Tai Manu-Olevao saw her first action, debuting late in the second set and burying her first collegiate kill in the third. She started on the right side the final two sets and results were mixed, with two kills, digs and blocks, but three hitting errors for a negative percentage.

"Tai got some good minutes," Shoji insisted. "It was really nice to see her out there because she just needs game time and I plan to give it to her. She has to see action in these kinds of matches. In practice you can’t simulate a game. She was very nervous, but she made some plays. We’ve just got to take a look."

With Croson gone, Wahine setter Mita Uiato is the only returning starter in the same position as last year (Hartong played middle). Despite all the changes, UH was surprisingly efficient early, holding a conference opponent to fewer than 20 points for the seventh and eighth straight sets.

It hit .367 in both the opening sets, taking big early leads and making them hold up. Five second-set stuffs left Cal Poly (1-15, 0-4) hitting just .129.

But in the third, the Wahine passing took a siesta and they hit just .047. Cal Poly scored five of the first six points, weathered a UH run that put it ahead 14-12 and stuffed Hawaii’s flailing offense down the stretch.

The passing returned in the final set and an early five-point service run by Ginger Long proved to be the difference.

‘Iolani graduate Chelsea Hardin had eight kills for the Mustangs, but hit .000.

Hawaii closes this trip tonight at UC Santa Barbara (9-10, 2-2), which swept Cal State Northridge on Friday.

"Santa Barbara is a better team than Cal Poly," Shoji said, "but it’s more about how we play most nights."

The Wahine will spend about six hours in Santa Barbara, driving down this afternoon and heading straight to the gym. After the match they go to an airport hotel in Los Angeles before an early-morning flight home.

The UCSB match will be streamed live at bigwest.tv and broadcast on KKEA 1420-AM at 4 p.m.