The two-time All-Americans looked at each other as they came off the floor in New Orleans and Willoughby said:

"OK, tomorrow we start training for next year."

Next year is here. Practice starts Saturday. The Rainbow Wahine open Aug. 22 by hosting the State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic. Defending NCAA champion Southern California is also in the tournament, along with Florida and Kansas State — Hawai'i's opening night opponent.

Kahumoku and Will-oughby are the most prominent part of a senior class of seven that includes Maja Gustin, Karin Lundqvist, Nohea Tano, Melissa Villaroman and third-team All-American Lauren Duggins.

All have started at least two seasons. UH coach Dave Shoji says they have been "wearing their game faces all summer" and bring "a sense of urgency."

He recognizes their resolve. He felt the same in 1979, '83 and '87. Those teams were also dominated by seniors and anchored by senior All-Americans like Terry Malterre, Waynette Mitchell, Deitre Collins, Joyce Ka'apuni, Suzanne Eagye and Diana Jessie.

All won national championships. The Rainbow Wahine have not won since, despite four more final four appearances. Some years, there simply wasn't enough talent. Last year, Shoji feels he failed his team in New Orleans by not working harder to help it focus.

This year, he says the players have been holding each other accountable pretty much every second since that loss to Stanford. Seven seniors won't have another shot at a title. For the others, this is probably their best chance.

"People that follow the sport know we're going to be very good," says Shoji, who has won 804 matches going into his 29th season. "They keep asking me if we're going to be very good and I keep telling them, 'If we get some coaching, we'll be good.' "

Shoji admits to "great anticipation," and says "lots of teams like us" this season. The Classic, designed as a preseason final four, could have the top three teams in the country when the preseason poll comes out. USC and Florida might be the only ranked teams that lost less than Hawai'i after last season.

The Rainbow Wahine lost just one starter, but at the sport's most crucial position. Redshirt freshman Cayley Thurlby and/or 2003 Iolani grad Kanoe Kamana'o will set against Kansas State.

The Classic appearance essentially costs Hawai'i a week of practice — the other 300-plus teams start the following weekend — and puts the heat on Thurlby and Kamana'o immediately. It is not how Shoji wanted to break in a new setter — "I would have liked an Appalachian State in there to open the season" — but he had no choice.

Thurlby, from Illinois, comes from one of the country's premier club programs. At 5 feet 11, she is taller than the 5-8 Kamana'o and spent last season training under all-conference seniors Margaret Vakasausau and Jennifer Carey.

Kamana'o, the 2001 State Player of the Year, played libero for the junior national team and has spent years watching the Rainbow Wahine. According to Shoji, he and his staff determined two years ago that she could block well enough to play at the top level. The rest of her game is beyond reproach.

Shoji expects to see 25 players Saturday, eight more than he's ever had before. At least two of the 11 walk-ons — six were invited — had Division I scholarship offers.

Shoji wants to keep 18 players. The media guide lists 15, which is all the returning players, and recruits Kari Gregory, Alicia Arnott and Kamana'o, and Castle graduate Juliana Sanders.

UH could red-shirt as many as four players and Shoji is looking at this year's practices from two angles: To improve enough to win a fifth national title this year and judge who will start next year.

For all the fresh faces, those who surround Thurlby and/or Kamana'o this season will be very familiar.

Willoughby and Kahumoku will launch the majority of the sets from the left side. The starter on the right could be Tano or Susie Boogaard, who shared it last year. Arnott and all the middles will also get a shot.

That includes Duggins, who blossomed into one of the country's most complete players last year. Lundqvist and Gustin — an all-region middle as a freshman — shared the other middle spot and serious injuries; Lundqvist is still recovering from January knee surgery. Gregory and Melody Eckmier are the great unknowns.

Shoji believes that position will decide this team's fate, insisting the setting will be "good enough."