"It's not ideal, but that's the way it is," said Florida coach Mary Wise, whose third-ranked team will cap a week of final examinations with an NCAA national semifinal match against No. 2 Hawai'i Thursday.

Since sweeping No. 10 Penn State Saturday to advance to the final four for the second consecutive year, the Gators have celebrated with all-nighters ... of studying.

"It's pretty somber," Wise said of the mood on the Gainesville campus. "Everyone's in the library."

Wise said she has rearranged practices to accommodate the academic schedules. Some players will be able to complete their exams before the team departs for Dallas this afternoon. "There will be some people who will be taking final exams on Thursday," Wise said.

The Gators' traveling party will include an academic adviser, who will serve as proctor.

Of the difficulty of the final four falling on the same week as final examinations, Wise said, "It's hard to ask players to be great in two different things at the same time."

Perhaps a bigger obstacle is the Rainbow Wahine. Since losing to top-ranked Southern California in the opening round of the State Farm Women's Volleyball Classic in Honolulu in August, the Gators have won 35 consecutive matches, sweeping their last 34. The 103-game winning streak is the longest in NCAA history.

But while Florida and Hawai'i have 35-match winning streaks and each team's only loss was to USC, they are similar, Wise said, "only if Dave (Shoji, UH's coach) sits Lauren Duggins. Then both All-American middles are on the bench."

Since midseason, the Gators have been without middle blocker Benavia Jenkins, who was on the 2002 All-America second team. Jenkins' season ended when she tore ligaments in her right knee.

"We're still looking for a miracle cure," Wise said.

Wise also is concerned about UH's All-America left-side hitters, Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku.

"We're going to ask that Kim and Lily just be human in the match," she said. "They're capable of doing non-human volleyball things."

The Gators were able to personally scout the Rainbow Wahine during the season-opening tournament, but they have had little luck simulating the skills of Willoughby and Kahumoku during practices.

"I think that's one of the things that makes Hawai'i so dangerous," Wise said. "Until you see them, until you're out on the court and see the pace Lily and Kim hit and the speed at which they play defense, it's hard to imitate in anybody's gym. We're giving (our scout players) rocket-booster shoes and having them hit off mini trampolines. There's no one else in the country, except maybe USC, who can imitate (the Rainbow Wahine) with their non-starters."

Still, the Gators — and Rainbow Wahine — found the preferred semifinal matchup.

"If there are 311 teams, I think there are 310 that would want no part of USC," Wise said. "It's 'pick your poison.' ... to win a national championship, everyone will have to go through USC."