Hawai'i beat down the challenges of three opponents to win the 14th annual Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge last night, which is not news. The 11th-ranked Rainbow Wahine have captured 12 of these titles.

What was newsworthy, to the 3,655 at Stan Sheriff Center and fans beyond, was that the 'Bows (4-2) refused to beat themselves all weekend against teams of varying talent. They outlasted 12th-ranked Minnesota, making road kill of the Gophers in the fifth set Thursday. Friday, they whipped Wyoming in every way.

Last night, they tormented a good Cincinnati team for two sets. When the Bearcats (4-2) remembered how good they really are in the third, the 'Bows closed with a flourish to win, 25-11, 25-17, 25-23.

"We just got better each and every game we played," said UH senior Jamie Houston, who came back from a rare night off to get 12 kills, on .367 hitting. "Against every team we played, we played at a higher level. It was just a chance for us to get better."

Collectively, and in the very special case of Rainbow Wahine freshman Kanani Herring, individually. Herring was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after a third night of remarkable precociousness. She finished off Cincinnati with match highs in kills (13), hitting (.571) and digs (9) — in her second week of college.

"It's going to be nice to have her for four years," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "The fans really should come and watch this girl, watch this team in person."

It only truly got interesting in the final set, when the Bearcats began blasting serves the way they did while winning their first four matches — collecting 40 aces in the process. Their first against Hawai'i put them up 10-8 in the third. Their second again targeted UH freshman Stephanie Ferrell, who started the set to give Aneli Cubi-Otineru a rest, and put them up 12-8.

Cubi-Otineru came back in, but an inspired Cincinnati extended its advantage to 16-10 before the 'Bows valiantly fought back. They tied it at 18, lost the next three points, but tied it again on kills by Herring, setter Dani Mafua and Cubi-Otineru, named to the all-tournament team a second straight week.

Backup setter Stephanie Brandt and reserve hitter Jessica Keefe were inserted to give Hawai'i three hitters in the front row. By the time they rotated out, the Rainbows were two points from victory.

Shoji walked to the end of the bench to congratulate the subs, then they congratulated themselves. Amber Kaufman's fifth kill and Cubi-Otineru's seventh — off Jaime Frey's body 10 feet away — ended it moments later.

"It's a different feel," Shoji said, of the season in general. "Tonight was an example of us struggling a little bit. We use Keefe and Brandt and they do their job. They're happy to contribute and it just feels better. Everybody is ready to contribute, everybody wants to contribute. And we want that, we need to be a team."

Houston, second in the nation in kills last season, led Hawai'i the first four matches, but was hitting a lowly .110 before last night. She was given time to contemplate that Friday when Ferrell took her spot.

It was, apparently, all good. Houston said she saw "the digging and the block better" from her rare vantage point and Shoji was even more specific.

"I think she had an opportunity to see the game," he said. "I asked her to watch how the match was flowing and where she should be and kind of rehearse her position in her mind. She did a much better job. Not only offensively because that was obvious, but just played well in the backcourt as well.

"She's really trying. She really wants to be a complete player. It's just not easy for her. She's not a natural ... so it's taken her a while, but I thought she made a huge jump over the weekend."

Cincinnati made a huge jump in the final set. The Bearcats hit negative-.030 in the first set and were outdug, 6-5, by UH libero Tara Hittle, also named to the all-tournament team. Things got better in Set 2, but the 'Bows were playing so well they never trailed. Finally, in the third, UC coach Reed Sunahara saw what he wanted.

"I just told them to have fun," said the Hilo High graduate, who has led the Bearcats to four NCAA Tournaments. "I told them we haven't shown what we are capable of and our potential. We have to do a better job of communicating and executing.

"They went out with a good attitude and that's what I was looking for from yesterday, which we didn't have. I'm proud of the way we played in the third set. UH is a great team, they're No. 11 for a reason."

Jayme Lee and Liz Ka'aihue, Hawai'i's liberos the past two years, were both injured and in street clothes on the bench last night. Ka'aihue has not played this season but is expected back at practice tomorrow. Lee will see a doctor today before the team will announce her status.