A Rainbow Wahine team forced to roll with the punches this volleyball season took another one to the gut yesterday.

Redshirt sophomore Nickie Thomas, Hawai'i's starting middle blocker, announced that the injury she suffered Thursday to her right knee was diagnosed as a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"I will miss the rest of this season," Thomas said, "but plan on making a full recovery in time to play next season. We are probably looking to have my surgery in the next few weeks."

Thomas issued the statement because UH recently prohibited coaches and medical staff from offering any information about student-athletes' injuries, other than whether they are cleared to play or not. Junior Tara Hittle, the 'Bows' best ballhandler, announced last week that she would miss the rest of the season because of injuries to her right foot and leg.

Thomas was much more encouraging when she spoke Friday before the final evaluation. She said then she "kinda sprained" her knee in Thursday's match as she planted it to reverse direction after a kill.

UH coach Dave Shoji anticipated the worst. He wanted to redshirt freshman Amber Kaufman because of her huge potential and late start in the sport. But, with only two healthy middle blockers on scholarship nine matches into the season, he asked her Thursday night what she thought about playing.

"I told him I was excited and ready to go," Kaufman said. "I told him before I didn't want to redshirt but it was his choice. If it was my choice, I'd play.

"I'm going to try and make the best out of the rest of the year. I will do anything. I'm glad I came out of the redshirt."

Kaufman's first appearance came at probably the lowest moment of Hawai'i's season. A night after falling to 23rd-ranked Cal Poly in five, the Rainbows were down two games and 11-9 in the fourth against the Mustangs. They rallied from what grew to a 19-12 deficit and won in five.

Kaufman characterized her appearance as "way crazier than I expected. When I first went out on court I knew where I was, but I wasn't really there," she recalled. "It was like an out-of-body experience."

She survived and so did Hawai'i, with a gritty rally every player contributed to, from the phenomenal fist save by Elise Duggins at game point in the fourth to all 10 of Kari Gregory's stuffs and each one of Jamie Houston's 28 kills.

Shoji called the comeback against Cal Poly "huge" in terms of NCAA selection and erasing some doubts about his team. "We fought hard and showed some heart," he said. "That was really good to see."

The process particularly pleased setter Kanoe Kamana'o.

"We stayed focused," Kamana'o said. "We were mentally in it, physically in it. We were calm the whole time. When we are not calm we get so sporadic and go all over the place. When we're calm and communicating, things go our way."

Kamana'o is the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week. It is her second career WAC weekly award. She is a three-time All-American and two-time WAC Player of the Year.

Kamana'o, already the UH career assist leader (5,282), moved into ninth on the school's dig list (1,023) and 10th in career block assists (315) last weekend. Her 69 assists Friday was a WAC season high.

Hawai'i starts WAC play Saturday by hosting Fresno State. The annual alumnae match precedes that. The 'Bows go on the road for the first time the following week.

The Rainbow Wahine (6-4) dropped three spots, to No. 15, in yesterday's CSTV/AVCA Coaches Top 25. It is the lowest ranking for UH since it was 25th in the final 1997 poll.

The ranking did bring some welcome news for the WAC. New Mexico State, which has won its first 14, finally bolted into the poll at No. 24, on coach Mike Jordan's 38th birthday. It is the first time the Aggies have ever been ranked.

It is also the first time since the final 2001 poll, when San Jose State was 25th, that a WAC team other than Hawai'i has been ranked.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.