The Ross family tree is full of athletic branches, several that are green and one that is gold.

Green is for Jason Ross, a two-sport athlete at the University of Hawaii, who played football and baseball in the 1990s before going on to a Triple-A baseball career.

Green also is for Ross’s sister-in-law Nohea Tano, a former Rainbow Wahine volleyball player who helped Hawaii to final-four appearances in her last two seasons (2002-03).

The gold branch belongs to Ross’s oldest daughter Kyla, part of the “Fierce Five” USA Gymnastics Team that won gold at the 2012 London Olympics.

The tree added another green branch this week. Ross’s middle daughter McKenna is one of five true freshmen on the Wahine volleyball roster.

It’s a dream come true for the invited walk-on who will be trying to make the transition from high school outside hitter to collegiate libero. At 5-foot-10, Ross knows her future is in the back row.

“I have a lot to learn, have got a lot of work to do,” said the Honolulu-born Ross. “I’m still learning to play the position — I played right-side and then changed to DS (defense specialist) last year — and am focusing on my technique.

“But I’ve wanted this ever since I was little. This is a dream come true.”

Four years ago, Ross was in the Stan Sheriff Center attending a Rainbow Wahine volleyball camp while her family was leaving for the London Olympics. She was back at her Aliso Viejo (Calif.) High volleyball tryouts when the then 16-year-old Kyla won the gold.

“It’s been really inspiring to see what she’s done, her dedication to gymnastics,” McKenna Ross said. “It’s very special to have her as part of my family.

“We both were doing gymnastics but I gave it up maybe when I was 6 and started playing softball and volleyball. She stayed with it and for her to win gold was awesome.”

The Ross sisters now are sharing something besides athleticism and chatting about Olympic gymnastics (Team USA repeated as gold medalists Tuesday night). They are both college freshmen.

Kyla deferred admittance into UCLA while training for the Rio Olympics — she retired from the national team in February — and plans to pursue a bioengineering degree while competing for the Bruins.

McKenna Ross said she was adjusting to being at the next level, both athletically and academically. She and the other freshmen are attending summer school and are dealing with finals this week as well as two-a-day practices.

“I think it’s going good,” Ross said. “The freshmen already have gotten close and I like the coaches, I’m excited to work with them and work on my technique.

“I know we’re going to be good this year and go far.”

Associate head coach Jeff Hall fells the same about Ross’ future.

“I like our freshmen a lot,” he said. “They’re very committed to working hard.

“It’s probably the most challenging for McKenna because she’s changing positions completely. It’s a whole new world for her. But she’s one of the more athletic kids on the team. I look forward to her future … she just has to learn to be a libero.”

Mitchem sidelined

Hawaii senior middle Annie Mitchem, who missed the final 12 matches of the 2015 volleyball season with an injury, has been sidelined pending a doctor’s evaluation on Friday.

The 6-foot-3 Mitchem injured her left hand during the final drill of Tuesday’s afternoon practice at the Stan Sheriff Center and did not practice on Wednesday. The two-time AVCA National Two-Year College Player of the Year at Irvine Valley (Calif.) broke her right pinkie during the Oct. 17 match against UC Irvine, a match that saw her record season-highs of seven kills, 13 digs and two aces.

Mitchem is projected to start in the middle along with all-conference junior Emily Maglio. The only other middle on the Rainbow Wahine roster is 6-5 redshirt freshman Natasha Burns although 6-3 sophomore Casey Castillo, the backup opposite, saw brief action in the middle last season.

Wahine ranked No. 6

Hawaii was picked No. 6 in the AVCA Coaches Top 25 preseason poll Wednesday, its highest ranking since opening at No. 4 in 2005. The Wahine finished last season at No. 7 after going 29-2.

Defending national champion Nebraska was favored to repeat, receiving 60 first-place votes. Texas, with three votes, came in at No. 2 followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas. No. 11 Stanford had the final vote.

The Wahine open play on Aug. 26 when hosting the fourth-ranked Badgers. Other ranked teams on Hawaii’s schedule are No. 7 Washington and No. 12 UCLA with Arizona 31st and Long Beach State 33rd.