Few have slowed middle blocker Victoria Prince, and setter Kanoe Kamana'o has terrorized opponents. But beyond that, third-seeded UH has gone to the end of the Rainbows to find a way to win all 30 of its matches going into Friday's regional semifinal in Green Bay, Wis., against 14th-seeded Wisconsin (21-9).

"We're pretty simple, but other teams don't know where the ball is going," UH coach Dave Shoji says. "We have no tendency. If you see enough film you can get some percentages, but that doesn't mean you'll know what Kanoe will do from play to play. ... You really just have to figure the percentages and not rely too much on scouting — just make adjustments during the game. That's the only way to play us."

To be honest, Shoji rarely knows who will be the anchor of the evening.

Kari Gregory has been a force with meticulous timing, particularly off the bench. Freshman Tara Hittle tore up Fresno State and Nevada first time around. Melody Eckmier and Juliana Sanders dropped the hammer on Rice and Utah.

Alicia Arnott and Susie Boogaard buried every swing the 'Bows had to have early, then took turns carving blocks as the season wore on. Arnott (30 kills, .463 hitting percentage) was particularly hard on SMU, while Boogaard (29 kills, .381) was particularly brilliant in last week's subregional.

Ashley Watanabe, Teisa Fotu and Kelly Ong have gone off on the service line, taking teams out of their offense and bringing the 'Bows great ballhandling. Fotu has also found magic in the front row, suffocating Utah State with 10 stuffs.

Shoji takes no credit for the deception. "Nothing is by design," he said. "It just evolves during the night."

It has driven opponents crazy.

"It definitely makes them harder to play," says Nevada coach Devin Scruggs, whose team went down to UH three times. The first two matches went five games. The last was not nearly as dramatic, with four Hawai'i hitters launching at least 14 kills and Watanabe serving five aces.

SMU coach Lisa Seifert thought she had it figured out when her team took a game off the 'Bows by putting their passers at risk with aggressive serving. When she saw UH in the WAC Tournament a month later, she realized the passing problems had passed, its defensive pursuit was once again at warp speed and the offense was too balanced for her blockers to stop.

"We'd look at a box score from two nights previous and Boogaard had 40 sets and hit .400," Seifert recalled. "We figure we have to slow her down, then Hittle goes off, or Prince or Arnott. They are very diverse.

"Then it becomes what can we do? ... All I've got to say is good luck to those playing them."

Scouting was tough enough at the start of a season where Kamana'o was the only returning starter. Incredibly, it is no easier now as the Rainbows descend on Resch Center for this regional with the Badgers, sixth-seeded Texas (26-4) and 11th-seeded Stanford (26-6).

Every night, a new Rainbow has risen. Often, the rise has been a surprise, and just in time.

"I don't know why that happens but it's amazing," says captain Eckmier. "It makes us really special. It makes us hard to beat, too, because no one can scout us. They could have watched us at Fresno or Reno when Hittle had an amazing weekend and think they have to watch out for her. Then they play us and Alicia goes off.

"What do they think? It could be anybody. If I was a scout, I'd be a little confused."

Just to make sure opponents' game plans are written in pencil, the Rainbow Wahine have wobbled through many games and more than a few matches. They played particularly poorly in the first game against Colorado last week, and that was pretty much all Purdue saw in person.

The next night, the Boilermakers were shocked at the Rainbows' relentlessness, and Kamana'o picked their defense apart.

"They have balance and athleticism and the setter is key," Seifert says. "She is so good. I told our middles that with her, you won't be able to guess. Just because she's running to the left side, it doesn't mean you can release and go. She'll throw the ball behind her — in a good spot. And she'll be 12 feet off the net and set the middle. The key is her."

Scruggs agrees, and both found out the hard way that Kamana'o's silent-killer style doesn't end on offense. She is as versatile as the team she conducts. Seifert cautions opponents against attacking Hawai'i's 5-foot-8 setter at the net.

"She's a good blocker," Seifert says. "She touches a lot of balls. At the WAC Championship she averaged 1.4 blocks. That's crazy for a peanut, but she plays big."

NOTES

House call: Victoria Prince remains well enough to play, according to UH coach Dave Shoji. Officially, she has been suffering from "flu-like symptoms," including strep throat since last week and did not practice Monday. Shoji said Prince will "rest when she needs to and play — that's the way she wants to do it and it's OK with the medical people."

Repeat: Hawai'i is in its seventh straight regional and 21st overall. It is 56-19 in the NCAA Tournament and 15-5 in regional semifinals. Wisconsin is making its eighth regional appearance, but first in three years. It is 22-12 overall.

Back again: Wisconsin is 22nd in this week's USA Today/CSTV Coaches Top 25. It is the first time the Badgers have been ranked since Sept. 6.

Anniversary: Exactly 25 years ago today, the Rainbow Wahine rallied to beat Utah State, 8-15, 7-15, 15-9, 16-14, 15-12, and win their first national championship. Saturday will be the anniversary of their second, which came 22 years ago. They won their fourth, and most recent, national title 17 years ago Saturday.

Double up: Kelly Ong served two aces in her 10-point run against Purdue Friday. That's one more than she had the rest of the season.