Susie Boogaard started the final rally with the last of her 19 kills; all but two came in the final three games. UCLA hit into the net to tie it at 13, then UH freshman Tara Hittle finessed her 11th kill after one of Ashley Watanabe's 23 digs.

Boogaard and Victoria Prince stuffed Brittany Ringel on match point.

"We made a play, got another high and came back and played with all heart," Boogaard said. "We just gave it everything we had and it was enough."

UH coach Dave Shoji could only shake his head in explanation.

"I think you need a little luck, and skill, and maybe a mistake on the other side and we got all three," he said. "You wouldn't think they (the Bruins) would make those kinds of mistakes with a lot of seniors out there. ... I think our team is starting to believe it can't lose. That's a good thing, but I've got to keep reminding them we can get better."

UH has won half its matches in five games this season, but none was as sweet as last night's. Hawai'i out-played one of the most experienced teams in the country. UCLA, which lost just one starter off last year's elite-eight team, started five seniors and could have taken over the country's top ranking.

Instead, the Cardiac Keiki continued their remarkable run behind sophomore setter Kanoe Kamana'o, who won Most Outstanding Player honors for the second tournament in as many weeks.

She got the ball to the right Rainbows at the right times, finding Prince (16 kills) while Boogaard struggled, getting the ball to Alicia Arnott (20) at every opportunity, and hitting Kari Gregory (7) and Hittle (11) just enough to keep UCLA baffled.

"The tempo of their offense is so fast and they were able to maintain that," UCLA coach Andy Banachowski said. "That's really a tribute to their hitters trusting their setter. She does such a great job delivering the same ball out there every time. They can believe in her and they were able to stay in system and tempo much better than we were throughout the match."

Hawai'i also re-discovered its block, stuffing 15 balls with Gregory in on nine.

Game 1 was tied 11 times, but Hawai'i was in control from the moment it lost a point on an overlap violation to make it 22-all. UH scored seven of the next 11 to get to game point, then stalled. UCLA denied three game points, then got its own game point on its only stuff. Hittle's kill and Gregory's fifth block gave UH another shot at it. This time the ball went down, with Arnott slamming out of the backrow.

The momentum changed early in the second game. UCLA suddenly stopped Hawai'i's offense, amassing six stuffs. A 4-0 run put the Bruins up 12-7. The Rainbows closed to 17-15. But without an attack — they hit .077 in the game — the end was near.

Hawai'i scored seven of Game 3's first 11 points. The Bruins tied it at 13, but could never take a lead and the 'Bows dominated down the stretch.

Game 4 was tied 11 times before the Bruins broke to a 26-23 advantage and finished it off.

NOTES

• Santa Clara (4-2) won the third-place match over Southwest Missouri State (5-3), 30-13, 30-20, 30-17.

• Joining Kamana'o on the all-tournament team were: Alicia Arnott (UH), Victoria Prince (UH), Sabrina Apker (SMS), Kim McGivin (Santa Clara), Chrissie Zartman (UCLA) and Nana Meriwether (UCLA).