If only it were as easy as putting an ad in the newspaper for University of Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji this week.

Something, perhaps, along the lines of: "Wanted: Team leader and designated sparkplug. Someone capable of making big plays at crucial junctures and carrying the team. Must lead the way in closing out games and igniting rallies. Someone with consistency of play to be looked up to by younger players and respected by upperclassmen. Urgent vacancy."

Just how urgent is underlined by the impending arrival of two nationally ranked opponents, No. 25 Kansas State Friday, and No. 5 UCLA Monday in UH's three games in the Hawaiian Airlines Volleyball Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center.

After a disturbing 1-2 start to the 2007 season that has included the first three-game sweep by an unranked opponent — Sunday's befuddling loss to Oregon State — the now-No. 16 Rainbow Wahine have their share of problems. With two of the proud program's nine losses to unranked teams coming in the same dizzying weekend, much of the the talk and, indeed, the spotlight is on the leadership vacuum.

Everybody knew the Rainbow Wahine would struggle at the setter position without three-time All-American Kanoe Kamana'o. We understood they would miss the presence of Sarah Mason, whose value was underlined in UH's 24-2 finish to 2006. What we didn't know was how out-of-whack things would start off this year.

The designated team captain, Tara Hittle, has struggled. But she has been far from the only one in that regard. And, surprisingly for this lineup, nobody else has been able to pick up the slack. Something of a puzzling rarity to be sure.

"It is just when you're struggling with your game like we did this past weekend, it is just hard to lead," Shoji said. "It is hard to be a leader when you're not playing well individually. A lot of people are going to say that you have no leadership, but you have to have someone playing well first. No one listens to someone who isn't playing well. When you're struggling with your own game, you can't go around trying to rally the troops 'cause it has no validity."

For the lack of that someone, anyone, UH could have — and probably should have — been 3-0. But the problem is that before a leader can emerge, someone must first demonstrate her own consistency of play and confidence.

"We've told them everybody needs to be accountable to their own game first," Shoji said. "The main thing you can do as a player is to improve yourself — and that's what we need right now."

The hope is that Hittle or one of the seniors will quickly emerge as that player and leadership figure. But it matters little who. Somebody needs to come from somewhere.

And, sooner rather than later.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.