School starts for the University of Hawaii on Monday. The 11th-ranked Rainbow Wahine open their volleyball season Friday, against top-ranked Texas.

The real world can’t come too soon. As a learning tool, Saturday’s scrimmage was all but useless. Coach Dave Shoji is no closer to naming his starters than he was before watching his 18 players dig a bunch of balls in uniform for the first time.

"I’d like to have a clear-cut first team, second team right now," Shoji said. "But we don’t."

By Tuesday, he feels like he has to make some starting calls. No one made it easier Saturday, for the right reasons.

"Everyone is playing well, so it’s difficult to make any decisions now," Shoji shrugged. "Everybody had good days."

Junior middle Kalei Adolpho came out sizzling and finished with an unofficial match high of 14 kills. But Jade Vorster helped associate coach Scott Wong’s team rally in the final set in her six-rotation turn as the lone middle and Kristiana Tuaniga might have showed the greatest versatility.

In other words, the two middle blocker positions are still up for grabs.

If there was a winner Saturday, it was senior setter Mita Uiato, who guided two very different teams to fairly dominant wins the first two sets. Shoji basically put All-American outside hitter Emily Hartong on one side and his "next two hitters" — Tai Manu-Olevao and Ashley Kastl — on the other, then split up the rest of the players.

Shoji swapped Uiato and freshman Tayler Higgins after the first set. Higgins and Kyra Goodman shared setting for the winning team in a roller-coaster third set.

The decisive run came with Courtney Lelepali serving and Shoji — the "referee" — totally missing a net violation to extend what was already a spectacular rally.

Hartong sat out that set. Pearl City alum Keani Passi, a transfer who will redshirt this season, took her place and gave the 60 boosters in attendance a loud look at next season.

"She’s physically the strongest person on the team," Shoji said. "She’s a little under-sized (5-foot-10), but she hits a heavy, heavy ball and her jump serve will score a lot of points next year."

Redshirting her leaves Shoji with only 17 possible starters.

Nikki Taylor, a 6-4 freshman out of Kaiser, might be the most intriguing. She had a few memorable moments, burying three balls over the block and stuffing two others straight down.

"I have wanted to bring her along slowly," Shoji said. "It’s rare that a freshman outside hitter goes in and does really well. They usually hit (.100) or negative the first weekend. But she makes you think about it. She can get some clean kills and clean blocks. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to make that call right away."

Hartong, Uiato and libero Ali Longo are Hawaii’s only definitive starters. Along with the muddle in the middle, Shoji needs to choose another left-side hitter and one for the right, from a flock of five who all had their moments Saturday.

Finding the best defensive specialists also became blurrier. His team’s ballhandling was exceptionally good in the scrimmage. Shoji particularly liked transfer Sarah Mendoza, who played libero for Kayla Kawamura the final set.

"We didn’t learn anything new," Kawamura admitted, "but it solidified to me that we’ve been working so hard at camp and we’re very deep. Anyone on the court can play. It showed that we’ve gotten a lot better. From the first day to now, it’s obvious."