Old happens. And it will be happening at the University of Minnesota’s Sports Pavilion for the NCAA women’s volleyball championship tournament.

Friday’s first-round match between Hawaii (22-5) and USC (18-13) rekindles old memories from 1988, when Rainbow Wahine coach Dave Shoji and USC coach Mick Haley, then the coach at Texas, were across the net at adjacent Williams Arena — affectionately known as “The Barn” — in the national championship match.

It was snowing. The two teams gathered afterward and sang Christmas carols by the fireplace in the hotel.

It was cold, but the Longhorns were warmed by the thoughts of having just swept the defending national champion Wahine, 15-4, 16-14, 15-13. Texas became the first school outside of California and Hawaii to claim the NCAA title, and the first to run through the bracket without dropping a set, sweeping all five matches.

Thirty-eight years later, Shoji — who will turn 70 Sunday — and the 73-year-old Haley continue their rivalry.

“It’s rather ironic,”Shoji said. “Probably the two oldest guys in the tournament are playing in the first round, in Minneapolis, where we were in ’88.

“He’s a tough old coach and will have his team battling. They could have beaten UCLA the other night (in five last Saturday) and they’ve been playing better lately. It’s going to be a tough match.”

And one that should have been played in a later round, according to some. One of those includes North Dakota coach Mark Pryor, whose Fighting Hawks (26-9) make their NCAA debut in Friday’s second match against host and No. 2 seed Minnesota (25-4).

“It’s a disservice to both of those teams,” Pryor said. “You’re looking at two of the perennial top programs. Six national title between them and such history in our sport.

“Just that fact that we’re in the subregional with them and Minnesota, we’re excited.”

Not so much for Haley, who disagrees with how the bracket was seeded as well as the NCAA not using pre-selected regional sites. This season, the four regional sites will go to the highest remaining seed in each pod.

“We went through this once before (no regional sites) in the early ’80s and we’re now back to it,” he said. “I think the committee is taking a step backward. It’s hard for everyone to hold their facility (for potential regionals).

“And then we’re back to regional seeding where, geographically, teams like Penn State and Texas get cakewalks (in the opening two rounds). It’s not good when a team like Texas State keeps going to Texas and said it was more fun to win their conference than to go to the NCAA tournament. You want the fun to be having a chance to win. The committee is numb to those comments.

“But it is what it is.”

Haley famously said on national TV during the 2011 selection show, “Occupy NCAA.” He was speaking out on the stacked regional in Honolulu, where the seeded teams were Nebraska (2), USC (7), Hawaii (10) and Pepperdine (15).

The Huskers were upset in the second round by Kansas State, but the Wahine, the Women of Troy, the Wildcats and the Waves all advanced to the Stan Sheriff Center.

USC knocked out Hawaii in an epic five-set battle, then took out the Waves, also in five. The five-set trend continued for the Women of Troy, who lost 3-2 to Illinois in the championship semifinal.

“That was THE final four,” Haley said of the Honolulu regional.

Haley, who won NCAA titles while at USC (2002-03) and an AIAW championship in 1981, is in his 40th year of collegiate coaching. He took a hiatus from USC to coach the U.S. Olympic team (1997-2000). He is closing in on 1,000 victories (932-243).

Shoji, in his 42nd season, is 1,201-203-1 and also has three NCAA (1982-83, ’87) and one AIAW championship (1979). His first NCAA title came against USC, then coached by Chuck Erbe.

“I can’t believe we’re still at it,” Haley said. “I can’t see Dave ever quitting, as long as he’s healthy and enjoying it, he’ll stay at it. In his mind I don’t think he’s ever retired from being a player.

“It’s always a good battle against him. I don’t think we ever had an easy match except one spring and they couldn’t handle Emily Adams’ serve.

“We’re always healthy … it’s just who’s healthy at the time. We’ve had so many lineups, but I feel we are starting to peak. We have our confidence back and we’re as good now as we’re going to be.”

As for 38 years ago, “I was pretty numb after,” he said. “We left on a happy note.”