By Ferd Lewis
Advertiser Columnist

It was late in Game 3, five points before what would become the eventual "aloha ball," and the volleyball crowd was already beginning to navigate its way to the exits last night.

Nothing that hasn't been seen at the Stan Sheriff Center this year on a regular basis, perhaps.

But this wasn't just another in a series of those weekly uno, dos, adios University of Hawai'i Western Athletic Conference matches against Boise State or Tulsa.

No, this time it was the top-ranked Rainbow Wahine, of all people, who got swept in a slam-bam 31-29, 30-28, 30-24 loss to No. 4 Stanford.

The Rainbow Wahine seniors, from left, Hedder Ilustre, Jennifer Carey and Margaret Vakasausau wave to the crowd after playing their final regular-season home match. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Would the heretofore 23-0 Rainbow Wahine have been more up to the task if they had played a real schedule?

Not the buffet line of Ho-Hos and Twinkies that pass for WAC competition, but real, honest-to-NCAA Tournament competition.

Not having played a nationally ranked team since Labor Day, UH coach Dave Shoji said he couldn't say for sure.

But you sure had to wonder if what happened to the Rainbow Wahine at the end of Game 1, when the Cardinal scored six of the last eight points — and 12 of the last 18 — in what passed for prime time would have taken place if UH had been able to play a few nationally ranked opponents.

Maybe if the Rainbow Wahine had been pressed by a top caliber opponent or two they could have even bounced back from the opening game loss and pushed this to four or five games.

But when you have lost only two games all year, and none in the previous 54, where is the reference point?

When you have been beating up a punching bag, what happens when an opponent that can take a punch starts to hit back?

Indeed, while UH came into this match off a yawner over 1-22 Boise State, Stanford, in its last four outings, beat No. 23 Arizona State, No. 16 Arizona, previous No. 1 USC and No. 18 UCLA.

That's more nationally ranked opposition than UH has seen all year. And the Cardinal has played 15 Top 25 teams (going 12-3).

Pick a week — almost any on the schedule will do — and Stanford was playing better competition. Both inside its conference, the Pac-10, and out.

The week Stanford played No. 6 Florida, UH had unranked Cal Poly. When UH played pushover Texas-El Paso, the Cardinal was playing No. 17 Washington State.

UH's biggest test the past two months was against Samorodok, a team from Russia. Maybe the Rainbow Wahine should play in the Vladivostock Athletic Conference instead.

"The thing that I think happens is we have been through lots," said John Dunning, the Stanford coach. "We were up 14-9 at home against USC and lost in the fifth game; had nine match points and lost. And, down there (at USC), they were way ahead in game four and we came back and won in five. When you go through things like that you start to not worry. You just think you can deal with it because you are experienced in those things."

And, on this night, UH clearly wasn't.