There are worse things than being manager of the sixth-ranked Rainbow Wahine volleyball team, particularly when you are a college guy who loves the sport and has earned the trust and friendship of five years' worth of women.

Hilo's Ryan Tsuji chugged into sub-freezing State College, Pa., just before midnight Monday with the Hawai'i team that has taken up much of his life since he graduated from Waiakea in 2001. The team flew from Austin, Texas, to Chicago, then to Harrisburg, Pa., before busing the last two hours to Penn State.

The seventh-seeded Rainbow Wahine (27-6) play 10th-seeded Missouri (24-4) in Friday's first NCAA Regional match, at 11 a.m. HST. Second-seeded Penn State (31-2) plays 15th-seeded Tennessee (23-8) in the late match. The winners play Saturday.

Tsuji will be the guy on the 'Bows' bench who looks a little like coach Dave Shoji, sees himself as a link between staff and players, and is the practice punching bag. If the team needs to face a big hitter or blocker, or a tough jump serve, Tsuji is their guy. If the players need advice, or maybe just an ear or a shoulder, the immensely likeable Tsuji is always available.

"It was really weird at the beginning to hang out with girls. I don't have any sisters," Tsuji said. "In high school I'd just hang out with my teammates and all of a sudden I'm surrounded by girls. It's a big difference. Being on the road all the time they become your life. It's a lot different, but I like it."

Tsuji was good enough to earn all-state honorable mention in high school, but wasn't sure if he could play for the Rainbows. When he fractured his back before coming to Manoa his decision was made.

He contacted the Rainbow Wahine coaches at an opportune time. All-American Lily Kahumoku was taking the year off and the roster wasn't full. They "needed bodies" in practice and asked Tsuji to send a video of his game. "They wanted to make sure I was legit," Tsuji said. "They get so many random e-mails from people."

When he came in as a volunteer assistant, Wendi Park was starting her final year as manager, a position that comes with a scholarship. Tsuji has gone from questioning whether he could make the men's team, let alone earn its partial financial aid, to being on full scholarship since his second year. He is finishing a degree in political science this semester and plans to get another in communications.

Then he wants to coach volleyball.

"I've learned so much from this experience," Tsuji said. "I had been playing a while and I learned more my first year with the team than all the other years I'd played. I've learned so much technically, from Dave and Charlie (Wade) and Kari (Ambrozich)."

But the technical side — in practice and on the bench during games — is only part of Tsuji's value. The players trust his judgment and friendship. He will be the "man of honor" in Lauren Duggins' June wedding. Nohea Tano's son Kobe is the voice on Tsuji's voice mail.

He keeps in contact with nearly all the players from the past five years and serves as liaison when they want to get in touch.

Each season has been unique.

There was the urgency of 2001, when losses mounted early, Kim Willoughby had a breakout year and strangers came together to surge to the regionals.

For the next two final-four seasons, Tsuji recalls a "generation gap" team with the seven seniors of 2003 serving as big sisters to the players making an impact now.

This year and last are more similar than most think, according to Tsuji. He believes only the very visible low-five start — five losses to top-5 teams in the first 10 matches — and injuries made it appear this season would be very different.

"I think at the beginning of this year, a lot of people thought something was missing," Tsuji said. "Last year everybody was really close. Everybody found a way to win. But this year, I didn't think we were lacking in any way.

"This team has so many personalities it makes it enjoyable to be around. A lot of people don't think it's as close or as special, but it's just a really low-key team. There have been years where there was lots of drama and this year it's been really mellow — not a lot of drama or baggage."

Tsuji is fascinated to find players' personalities repeating. He characterizes Hedder Ilustre and Tara Hittle as "the comedians." He also compares Ilustre to walk-on Kelly Ong — once known as "Mini Hedder" — because they look and sound so much the same and have outgoing personalities.

Raeceen Woolford reminds him of Margaret Vakasausau because they share the same interests and sophisticated sense of humor. Kari Gregory and Jen Carey have very similar personalities and Sarah Mason often makes him think of Kahumoku.

But Tsuji's first memory of Mason remains an original. She attended Christian Liberty early in her high school career on the Big Island. The school didn't have a girls team, so Mason played opposite her brother, Josh, on the boys team.

"She was good," Tsuji recalled "I remember her blocking one of our guys. Everybody knew her in Hilo."

Tsuji will probably be remembered as the guy on the Rainbow Wahine team. Some think he is Shoji's son, even going so far as to ask him which brother he rooted for when Iolani (Kawika Shoji) and Punahou (Erik Shoji) played.

Some don't care why he is there, they just want to know if he can tell Shoji how to coach because they have this great idea.

But mostly, particularly in Hilo, he gets: "Guys will say 'Hey, you're our idol, you get to hang around with the Wahine all the time,' " Tsuji said. "I don't know if I should be their idol, but it is fun."

Saturday's exhilarating comeback against Texas, in Austin, will be one of his best memories. Tsuji recalled Carey, who now works at Texas A&M and came to watch the match, asking him why the 'Bows didn't celebrate after Friday's match. She didn't ask again Saturday.

"Every single point everyone was focused and we celebrated a lot," Tsuji said. "The energy out there was awesome, even off the bench. They were giving a lot of feedback tactically. ... It was cool to hear all the cheering and feedback. The interchange between everyone was awesome.

"It reminded me of the Nebraska regional a few years ago. It was the same atmosphere and the home team hadn't lost in a long time. The outsides really turned it on and we really needed that. It reminded me of Kim and Lily."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.