When you play volleyball for the University of Hawai'i and fly some 44,000 miles a year, away games are already dramatically different than any other Division I school. When you are a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which stretches as far east as Ruston, La., road trips can get ridiculous.

The Rainbow Wahine (9-2, 2-0 WAC) are away from home for the first time this season. They will take their eight-match winning streak and No. 7 national ranking to three time zones in the next four days. Hawai'i is at Louisiana Tech (2-7, 0-2) tonight, New Mexico State (7-6, 2-0) Saturday afternoon and San Jose State (4-8, 0-2) Monday.

That's more than some teams will travel all year. OK, most teams. The Rainbows will roll out again twice more during the WAC season and, almost without a doubt, again in December for the NCAA Tournament.

"As much as we travel," said assistant coach Ryan Tsuji, "sometimes we get off the plane and say, 'OK, where are we?' "

The players are notoriously good sleepers and conditioned to work their way from an arrival gate to a baggage claim curb in a semi-conscious state. They take it one step further.

"Half the time I never knew where we were going," said manager Hedder Ilustre, who played for UH in 2001 and '02. "Even if it was somewhere far I was like, 'I'm just going to play volleyball.' I had no idea what state or anything."

The Rainbow Wahine were already hurting before they left for this trip. Freshman Kanani Herring probably won't play tonight so she can rest the left ankle she sprained Monday in practice. Her left hand remains bandaged from a nagging injury. UH coach Dave Shoji hopes the reigning WAC Player of the Week will be ready for NMSU.

"This is a new thing for me," Herring said, "but on a day-to-day basis I'm progressing well."

Herring and Aneli Cubi-Otineru have two reception errors apiece in more than 350 attempts this year, a stunningly high percentage that has helped Hawai'i control the ball, and matches. But Cubi-Otineru is also dinged up. She broke her nose in a practice drill last week when it collided with Amber Kaufman's elbow, and has played the last two matches with a protective mask.

"Aneli is the toughest person I know," Kaufman said, still feeling guilty. "Everybody else would have been down and out."

Travel might be the least of Hawai'i's worries. It has rarely been a problem for this team. The players look forward to trips as a time to decompress, get away from distractions and spend quality time together.

They study together and go to the mall, when they aren't playing, sleeping or eating. If the trip drags on, they might go sledding (2003 at Lake Tahoe), on hiking (2004 Utah) or racing on a fitness course (San Jose 2007).

"I have funny memories of just having fun in hotel rooms," Ilustre said. "Goofing around, taking funny pictures, trying to be creative with our time."

Players queue up for their favorite van by musical taste: Shoji's van has Shoji's music and is populated by those with IPods; associate coach Mike Sealy's van features constantly switching stations and a game of Name That Artist; trainer Renae Shigemura always has Hawaiian music. This season's biggest mystery might be what music will be in the van previously driven by associate coach Kari Ambrozich, who is now on maternity leave.

"My first day back, Dave introduced me and I heard somebody say, 'I'm in her car on road trips,' " Ilustre said. "I guess they thought they could listen to what they want."

There is often family and friends to meet with on the road. Hawai'i usually has more fans than the Spartans at San Jose State. Last year Jamie Houston's family met the team in Ruston.

There is always shopping. "One place we go lately is Target," Tsuji said. "There is usually always a Target. The girls stock up — bedding and frames, they get groceries. I remember Teisa (Fotu) used to buy boxes of cereal and bring it back because it was so cheap."

Louisiana Tech might be one of the WAC's weakest teams, but it is the toughest trip. Hawai'i left here Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. and did not arrive until yesterday afternoon. It gets worse. There is no Target in Ruston.

NOTES

Nickie Thomas (.415 hitting), Dani Mafua (11.16 assists per set) and Amber Kaufman (0.61 aces) are No. 1 in WAC statistics. As a team, Hawai'i leads the conference in hitting (.291), assists (14.05) and kills (15.03). It also leads the country in kills and assists.

Senior libero Tara Hittle needs three digs to move ahead of Martina Cincerova and into sixth on the career list. Hittle, who played outside hitter her first three seasons, has 1,109 digs.

Hawai'i's Clay Stanley was named MVP of the Olympic volleyball tournament. Stanley helped the American men to their third gold medal, which ties them with the USSR for most golds. Stanley was the Games' Best Scorer, with 146 points on 116 kills, 15 blocks and 15 aces, and Best Server.

Former UH trainer Melody Toth will sign copies of her new book, "Let's Go 'Bows! Behind the Scenes with University of Hawai'i Sports," at Saturday's UH-San Jose State football game. Toth will be in front of the stadium ticket office from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and inside the stadium by Gate 1, Section EE, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.

UH now ranks fourth among 19 statewide license-plate programs. The school's "Ride With Pride" promotion has the signature "H" of the athletic department available on license plates. They can be purchased at any Department of Motor Vehicles office or applications can be downloaded at www.koaanuenue.org. Cost is $30.50 for the first year and $25 every year after. For each "H" branded license plate purchased, UH will receive $20 annually to support its student-athletes.