It might sound like a lot for a team that has tantalized, then terminated opponents all season. But, put into perspective, it is actually dramatic progress. When the season started, only setter Kanoe Kamana'o — last season's national Freshman of the Year — had her name engraved in the starting rotation .

The Rainbows said endless auditioning can be nerve-wracking. It is not always a bad thing.

"I don't know where I stand," Teisa Fotu says. "But my attitude towards that is if I do my best in everything, hopefully I'll get to play."

TEISA FOTU

UH coach Dave Shoji first handed her the distinctive jersey at Nevada when starter Ashley Watanabe struggled. Fotu's solid ballhandling helped the Rainbows rally to yet another five-game victory. Her spectacular save, as she instinctively stuck her fist at the ball, preceded the stuff that ended the match.

Fotu prefers to call the mid-season search for starters testament to Hawai'i's depth and diversity. So does freshman Tara Hittle, who has solidified her place as right-side starter by crushing almost every set she has seen in the WAC.

"Actually, I don't know where I stand either," Hittle says. "I don't think anyone knows except for a couple people. And quite honestly, I'm not even worried about it. If I'm in there, I'm happy. If not, I'll still be happy because I love this team and it doesn't really matter who is in there."

The two first-year Rainbows go as far as to call the search for starters a "weapon" that proves their depth and provides more players the opportunity to improve.

Even Shoji seems to be enjoying the spontaneity of the journey. He used 13 players Sunday, then characterized the sweep of UTEP as his team's most poised performance.

"It was a confidence-builder," Shoji says. "Everybody feels good about the way we played. It was fun. We're doing some little subtle things we talked about and that's when it's fun — when we're executing and people are having fun playing."

Lots of people are having lots of fun right now. That could change any moment, and Shoji worries most about road matches with his inexperienced team. But, unlike previous years, he doesn't worry about this team looking past the WAC.

"I don't think our players know there's any difference in any of these teams," he says. "They're not that familiar with anybody. That's a good thing."

NOTES

• Both road matches will be broadcast live on KKEA (1420 AM), beginning at 2 p.m. tomorrow and 9 a.m. Saturday.

• The Rainbows remained No. 1 in the third RichKern.com/AVCA Division I West Regional Ranking. They are followed by Long Beach State, Pacific, Rice and UC-Irvine. Nevada, SMU and Boise State of the WAC are Nos. 11, 12 and 13.

• Hawai'i's next home match is Oct. 21 against Eastern Division leader Rice. At 17-2, the Owls are off to their best start in history. They received enough votes to place 26th in this week's Top 25. The match will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of Stan Sheriff Center.

• In WAC matches, UH junior transfer Victoria Prince is hitting .479 and averaging more than two blocks a game. Her season averages of .386 and 1.46 blocks are first and third in conference statistics. Prince's hitting percentage ranks 30th nationally.

• Sophomore Kanoe Kamana'o leads the WAC in assists per game (13.61) and is 11th nationally. She moved ahead of assistant coach Kari (Anderson) Ambrozich into seventh place in career assists last week. Kamana'o, at 5 feet 8, is also 10th in WAC blocking (1.09).