College sweethearts with a touch of an old married couple. That is how Hannah Rooks and Ka’iwi Schucht describe their partnership as the No. 3 pair for the Hawaii beach volleyball team.

The duo is 11-3, including a winning streak of six, for the fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine. Success hasn’t come easily — two of the victories in that streak went three sets, another against previously undefeated Florida State won by the slimmest of margins, 21-19, 27-25.

The love/not so loving relationship had, at times, been contentious as the tandem worked through communication issues. Chemistry is key in the sport and Rooks, a 6-foot junior, and Schucht, a 5-9 sophomore, have learned from earlier combustion.

“We had a little hiccup before but we talked and let all our anger out,” Schucht said. “It was about our communication and the expectations.

“This past weekend our communication was perfect.”

Unlike the March 20 match against then-No. 3 USC at Queen’s Beach, there was no meltdown … literally … when facing then-No. 2 Florida State last Saturday at DeLand, Fla.

“It was really hot when we played USC and we broke down,” Schucht said. “Against FSU, it was really hot and it was, ‘hey, we’re in this together. Deal with the heat and not break down.’ ”

“We had a big heart-to-heart in Florida,” Rooks added. “It was about talking out what we liked and didn’t like about the way we were communicating, especially on defense and where we wanted and needed to work harder for each other.”

It paid off for Rooks-Schucht, with their hard-fought victory helping the SandBows hand the Seminoles their first loss of the season. It helped Hawaii go 5-0 on the road trip and earned Rooks-Schucht the Big West Pair of the Week on Monday.

Coach Jeff Hall has seen the growth as he’s moved the duo around from the No. 4 flight to No. 5 and to No. 3. The pair is 6-1 since moving permanently to No. 3, the lone loss coming in the aforementioned contest with USC.

“Part of it is the continuity of playing together, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Hall said. “In this sport, it’s more than putting partnerships together based on skill sets. We also have to recognize the human element.

“Chemistry is that great, elusive thing that every coach is trying to find and it’s even more challenging on the beach side. They have found each other and are in a groove.”

Rooks and Schucht continue to build on their similarities, which includes moving around as military dependents. Schucht was raised on Oahu before ending up in California for high school; Rooks’ family moved from Georgia to Oahu her senior year, where she graduated from Kaiser.

“And we have the same passion,” Rooks said. “It’s been cool having her as a partner and I’m looking forward to keep working hard, staying on the grind and be the best we can possibility be.”

Rooks said she felt the two proved something last weekend. The key is to continue to do so the rest of the season.

It starts with the Outrigger Beach Volleyball Challenge, a pairs tournament on Friday at the Ching Complex and duals with No. 5 UCLA and Arizona State.

Rooks-Schucht dropped a three-setter to the Bruins the second match of the season on Zuma Beach, Calif., when playing at No. 5. The SandBows went on to lose 3-2.

“We’ll be playing against a different team (at No. 3),” Rooks said. “We’re super determined to win the game. It’s about bringing the same passion, especially on defense. I felt we played lights-out (defensively) last weekend.”

The two were split up once, for an exhibition, but “we got back together after that,” Schucht said. “There’s not going to be a divorce.”