Third-ranked UCLA flexed its muscles early, then flattened the ninth-ranked Rainbow Wahine in Sunday’s championship match of the 18th annual Verizon Volleyball Challenge.

The defending NCAA champion Bruins won 28-30, 25-16, 25-17, 25-21 before a frustrated Stan Sheriff Center crowd of 7,670 that was given a glimmer of hope early and far too late.

The crowd was not nearly as frustrated as its team, which spent most of the night looking up to see its dramatically taller opponents hitting straight down.

"What we talked about in the locker room was how we’ve got to get in position to play one of these good teams in the second or third round," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We have to beat somebody like this to get to the final four or a regional final.

"Obviously, we have to shore up our ball control. It’s got to be perfect if we’re going to beat a team like this."

Sunday it was not, again. Setters Mita Uiato and Monica Stauber — who instigated a rally in Set 4 — were forced to go outside to Emily Hartong (20 kills) and Jane Croson (14), who combined for more than 100 swings.

They kept swinging, middles Jade Vorster and Kalei Adolpho kept coming and Ali Longo brought up another 19 digs, but there was little reward. UCLA (6-1) shrugged off a terrible first 25 points and Hawaii’s gritty first-set success to beat UH for the sixth time in their last eight meetings.

The Wahine still have a 36-34 lead in what has become a legendary series between teams with a combined 11 national championships. But their 17-match Challenge winning streak is over and they clearly have a long way to climb to catch up to teams like UCLA and top-ranked Nebraska, which beat the Bruins opening week.

Hawaii gave it a spirited try. Playing more like the Wahine that upset Stanford opening week than whoever that was that lost to Cal a week ago, they took every punch and kept getting up in the middle of the match. They even started throwing a few of their own again near the end.

"Against Cal there was a little letdown," Hartong said. "But in the other games we came in knowing we needed to execute. Tonight was a big challenge, but we didn’t let up and I thought we played hard until the end of the fourth game.

"It was a different feeling when we lost to Cal. That was a lot more frustrating, knowing we didn’t play up to the level we can. Losing to UCLA … we kept our heads high, but they just overpowered us."

Ultimately, the Bruins’ 16.5 blocks and 6-foot-plus outside hitters were too much. UCLA barely set anyone outside of outside hitters Tabi Love (6-foot-5), Rachael Kidder (6-3) and Karsta Lowe (6-4), maybe because there was no need. Hawaii rarely and barely touched them.

"We need to be relentless on defense, know our assignments and we’re still not clicking offensively," said Bruins coach Mike Sealy, who lost only his setter from last year. "We’ve got some big bodies, we’ve got an advantage. Megan (Moanoa) did a great job giving us the sets we need to win, but sooner or later you are playing against Texas and Penn State, where the blockers are 6-6 and 6-7 and they are going to limit this offense."

Love, the tournament’s most outstanding player, drilled half of her 52 sets for kills. Kidder, an All-American last year who was also the final-four MVP, added 16 and Lowe, a part-timer, had nine and hit .412.

UCLA’s passing wasn’t a whole lot better than Hawaii’s, but with those three roaming free at a different altitude, it didn’t matter … although it did in the one set the Wahine want to remember.

Both teams served for the opening set three times before Hawaii got it right — with Vorster serving. Out of subs after 36 minutes, the Wahine scored the final point when Love took a rare set on the right and cut the ball across her body inside the 5-foot line but out of bounds on the opposite side.

San Diego State 3, Idaho 2

Summer Nash put down 18 kills to lead four Aztecs in double-figure kills in a 25-23, 23-25, 25-16, 24-26, 15-12 victory over the Vandals.

Former Rainbow Wahine Michelle Waber and Chalymin Steel each had 13, and Andrea Hannasch added 12 for SDSU (6-2), which claimed third place.

Allison (Walker) Baker had 21 kills and 15 digs for Idaho (2-8).