After losing seven seniors and 90 percent of last year's offense, Hawai'i followed setter Kanoe Kamana'o — the lone returning starter and Classic's Most Outstanding Player — to three very different victories. Each tested their resolve more.

They were up to every challenge, and every challenger.

"We just fought for it in the fifth game tonight, we knew it was our last chance," said UH junior Susie Boogaard, who had a career-high 21 kills. "We had to give everything we had. I think it says a lot about our team. We have so much heart out there we're going to pull out the long games. We're in great shape and we can play five long, hard games two nights in a row. ... We're not on a high. This is our team. We're going to fight for everything and I think every game is going to be hard for us."

Before 5,018 at Stan Sheriff Center, the 'Bows hung on to beat an Arizona team playing without injured All-American Kim Glass, and her five-plus kills a game, but with every other starter from last year's NCAA Tournament team. The Wildcats were more athletic, more imposing, much more experienced and dominant through most of the middle three games.

It wasn't enough, as it hadn't been enough for San Diego on Friday when it fell in five, and Eastern Washington on Thursday, when it got blasted in a shocking debut of the renovated Rainbows.

Last night the 'Bows fought off five game points in the second and gritted out a tense fifth game to give the Wildcats (2-2) their second straight loss. Arizona streaked out of the arena an hour before its plane was scheduled to depart not knowing what hit it.

The 'Cats clobbered the UH defense in Games 3 and 4, hitting over .400 behind Jennifer Abernathy (24 kills), Meghan Cumpston (19) and Kristina Baum (16). On the other side, the Rainbow Wahine often went several serves without putting a ball down.

"Arizona exploited a lot of our inexperience," UH coach Shoji said. "We really struggled in a couple positions but I think that was to be expected."

The 'Bows kept clawing back. They sneaked in to win the second game despite a 29-26 deficit, then shook off all the frustration of the following hour by breaking away in Game 5.

The 'Bows tied it at 7 on one of Alicia Arnott's career-high 18 kills. The 'Cats went to Abernathy on the next rally and Melody Eckmier and Teisa Fotu — reserves who started only the final game — stuffed her. Eckmier had been out since Friday with an ankle injury.

Cumpston had one of her dozen hitting errors on the next serve. Then Boogaard stuffed Arizona setter Stephanie Butkus to put Hawai'i ahead, 10-7.

The Wildcats would never catch up, with Eckmier and Fotu getting another roof, Boogaard and Arnott putting down their final kills, Fotu firing in an ace and Prince ending the wild weekend with her 12th kill.

"We were struggling but everyone just hung in there, no one got down," Shoji said. "That's what you've got to love about the team so far."

In yesterday's opener, San Diego (2-1) beat Eastern Washington (0-3), 30-26, 30-18, 28-30, 25-30, 15-12.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.