Senior year can feel like a long driving trip on the mainland, one where there’s a sign that requires attention. “Last chance for food & gas for the next 100 miles.”

Norene Iosia has seen it — not literally, but the Hawaii senior setter is aware that this is the last chance for … well, forever.

That last stretch of her collegiate volleyball career begins tonight against No. 21 San Diego in the 31st Hawaiian Airlines Classic. It’s the first of “the lasts” that all seniors experience, this one being her last season opener in the Stan Sheriff Center.

Iosia will emerge from the tunnel with a renewed energy and, she says, a new attitude. There are goals, some the Wahine haven’t achieved since Iosia’s freshman year, including winning the Big West title and advancing past the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“There were times that I’d come to practice physically there but not mentally there,” the three-time All-Big West selection said. “Now that this is my last year I’m embracing it all.

“The competition in the gym is higher than it’s been, and that makes it way more fun. I think it’s a combination of senior year and the talent we have. With so many new girls, it’s like a blank slate and all they know is that they want to come have fun and play volleyball.”

There are nine newcomers on the 16-player roster, among them Iosia’s competition at setter. Bailey Choy (‘Iolani) is pursing her master’s degree in business while finishing her collegiate eligibility after three seasons as Utah’s starting setter.

The scenario is not new to Iosia, who started as a freshman instead of senior Tayler Higgins for much of 2016, and had senior Kendra Koelsch to push her in 2017. Iosia also shared setting duties last season with Faith Ma’afala when Hawaii ran a modified 6-2 offense in which Iosia was used as an outside hitter in three rotations.

Her versatility had the Redondo (Calif.) Union High product finish with 19 double-doubles (kills-assists and digs-assists) and five triple-doubles (kills-assists-digs). In the season finale against Baylor in the NCAA tournament first round, Iosia had 11 kills, 14 assists and 15 digs, her fifth triple-double putting her second nationally in that category.

The fact that the 5-foot-11 Iosia was such an offensive weapon last season makes her more of a threat this season. Teams will have to respect her when she’s in the front row and “it’s cool when opponents don’t know what you’re going to do,” she said. “Sometimes, I don’t know what I want to do, either.

“Especially when the other team is talking through the net. Dang, I just want to smash the ball.”

There is quite a bit of talk about this Wahine team, but “that’s all it is talk, talk, talk, talk, talk,” Iosia said. “It’s good people are talking about us, but we have to make sure that this team is grounded.

“What it comes down to is are we really going to show up?”

In particular, showing up at the ends of matches. Of Hawaii’s combined 17 losses the past two seasons, 10 have come in five sets, including the two that ended the season in the first round of the NCAA tournament (Illinois in 2017, Baylor in 2018).

The coaching staff has seen the change in Iosia, especially assistant Kaleo Baxter. He was coaching at Mizuno Long Beach when Iosia was playing for the club.

“I don’t think she was pushed growing up,” Baxter said. “She was naturally gifted, always the best. I think when she came here and started setting under Lindsey (2016 assistant Berg) and Robyn (Ah Mow, head coach since 2017), it forced her to work harder and perfect her craft.

“What I like is we have two really good setters. Both Norene and Bailey are doing a tremendous job. They give us extremely different looks. Norene’s going to do whatever we ask her. She proved that last year.”

Iosia’s uniform number matches where she ranks on UH’s career assist list (2,503): No. 10. It’s the number that her late uncle Mac Iosia wore when playing for American Samoa and the U.S. Marine Corps.

Norene Iosia has gotten used to the celebrity status Wahine volleyball has. She didn’t believe it at first, saying, “Yeah, whatever” when told she would be recognized when out in public.

“My freshman year I was hiking with my family and we had just gotten to a waterfall,” she said. “This older woman screamed, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ I thought she was hurt and asked if she was OK. She said, ‘You’re No. 10. My husband loves you. Can we take a picture?’ Wow. That has stuck with me.”