And, in Provo, Utah, the Rainbow Wahine lost a volleyball match to Brigham Young.

As second-ranked Hawai'i prepares to open its eighth Western Athletic Conference season tonight at San Jose State, that remains its last WAC volleyball loss. The 'Bows have mowed down their last 74 WAC opponents.

This remarkable record means little to the Rainbow Wahine.

"I don't think the players think about trying to extend the streak," UH coach Dave Shoji says. "They are just worried about the next play and next game. That's how we have to take things."

Since joining the WAC, Hawai'i has gone to three final fours and missed winning its fifth national championship. All those WAC championship trophies look lonely. The conference is part of the problem.

The WAC consistently rates among the Top 10 in the nation, even without a second ranked team to push the Rainbow Wahine. It sent Hawai'i, Fresno State and Nevada to last year's NCAA Tournament and is 72-56 against non-conference opponents this year. San Jose, which lost seven players in the offseason, is struggling. But every other team has reason for optimism. Even Boise State, which won two matches its first two WAC seasons, is upbeat with four victories.

But by the looks of this preseason, Fresno State is the only other WAC team with a shot at the postseason unless someone shocks Hawai'i.

It would be a shock to nearly everyone. "I'm not sure if WAC opponents actually believe they can beat us," Shoji says.

He is about to find out. Between now and Thanksgiving, Hawai'i is WAC-bound. The only exceptions are Sunday, when it plays at 16th-ranked Santa Clara, and Oct. 19, when 22nd-ranked Arizona comes to the Stan Sheriff Center.

Fresno State is in the best position to challenge UH, despite losing three starters to graduation and all-region setter Whitney Arena, who cannot play anymore because of pain in her forearms.

Still, the Bulldogs have won three tournaments. Junior Kristen Fenton is making a push to become their second All-American, averaging more than five kills a game. Freshman Tuli Peters, out of La'ie and Kahuku High School, is starting opposite Fenton.

They might give FSU the best left-side attack in the WAC outside of UH, which might have the best left-side attack in the country with All-Americans Kim Willoughby and Lily Kahumoku.

The Bulldogs would have to play a flawless match to beat the 'Bows, serve "recklessly" well and hope Hawai'i has an off night. But they have proved they are not intimidated, particularly in a five-game loss at Fresno last year.

"Last year really kicked up our mentality in terms of yes, we can beat them," says Punahou graduate Lindy Vivas, who opened this season with her 300th coaching victory at FSU. "But we also have the recognition that we almost have to be perfect to do it."

It remains to be seen if any other WAC team has enough attitude, to say nothing of talent, to take Hawai'i to the limit.

Nevada took a game off UH in last year's WAC Championship, but is now starting six underclassmen — when they are healthy.

Everyone on the roster should be back next season so coach Devin Scruggs is taking a long-term view. Her players are not that patient. They think they can beat the 'Bows because they don't know any better.

"Maybe after they watch Kim and Lily in the warmups they will be intimidated," Scruggs says. "But they are just naive in knowing how good Hawai'i is, which — to me, right now — is just fine. I know and that's enough. I don't want them to know."

QUICK SETS: Tonight's match at San Jose will be broadcast live, at 3:50 p.m. HST, on 1420 AM. ... The radio station will join Sunday's match at Santa Clara (10 a.m. HST start) in progress, after the 49er football game. ... UH-Santa Clara is part of CSTV's Sunday Night Spike package, but the 24-hour college sports network can only be seen in Hawai'i via satellite. ... Coach Lindy Vivas said Fresno State is trying to move its home match with UH from Nov. 8 to Nov. 9 (Sunday) so it could be played in the new Save Mart Center. The on-campus arena's inaugural public event is the Bulldog Basketball Extravaganza exhibition Nov. 5.