Aggies hope to freeze Wahine dominance

They broke out their cold-weather gear yesterday: new black down jackets.

They were also packing a matching altitude attitude.

The Hawaii volleyball team left last night on its last regular-season road trip, headed for Logan, Utah (elevation 4,775 feet). The ninth-ranked Rainbow Wahine are expecting a chilly reception from the Aggies that could match tomorrow's expected low of 27 degrees.

Both teams remember how then-No. 1 Hawaii escaped with a 3-2 win over injury-plagued Utah State last season at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Both also remember the ease with which the Wahine handled the Aggies last month at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Victoria Prince has some memory of both, clouded by being ill both contests. She struggled last year against the Aggies, hitting .103 with just eight kills; she missed last month's match with a stomach virus.

"Last year, everything about the game felt weird," Prince said. "It seemed like every ball I hit either went into the net or hit the tape. Everybody was making errors.

"Here we were undefeated, ranked No. 1 for the first time, and we were down 0-2. In the locker room I was like, 'OK guys, this cannot happen right now.' We got our heads together. That was a good scare. I'm sure we'll be a lot more ready, remembering what happened last year."

Both Hawaii and Utah State have a lot at stake tomorrow. The Wahine can:

» Clinch the Western Athletic Conference title;

» Keep their nation-leading conference winning streak alive at 104;

» Win their 13th straight match;

» Continue to close the gap on BYU in the regional rankings.

The Wahine are No. 2 in the West Region -- 14th nationally -- in the unofficial Rich Kern Ratings Index, a system which closely mirrors that used by the NCAA. The Cougars are No. 1 in the West, but dropped to 12th overall after being swept by Utah last week.

A win over Hawaii would give Utah State -- No. 7 in the region, 57th nationally -- a huge boost in trying to secure an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament ... should the Aggies not win the automatic berth that goes with winning the WAC tournament.

"I'm sure a win against us is huge motivation," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "They're fighting for an NCAA spot and they're fighting for the second seed (in the WAC tournament).

"They have great motivation. I'm hoping we can stay motivated. It's our last regular-season road trip and we want to keep playing at the highest level."

The Aggies have moved into second place in the WAC after winning their last four matches. But Utah State arguably has the toughest remaining schedule: Hawaii tomorrow, at New Mexico State on Saturday, at Louisiana Tech on Monday and hosting Nevada on Nov. 19.

"Obviously, we're the underdog against Hawaii," Aggie coach Burt Fuller said yesterday. "I don't know if we've improved since we played them in Honolulu, but we are hoping to play better.

"Prince didn't play the last time. She definitely adds another dynamic option. I think this is as big a match for them as it is for us. They don't want to drop a match. And if we were to get an upset win, then that places us higher with the (NCAA) selection committee."

Fuller said his team's focus is not on Nov. 27, the day the NCAA field is announced. The focus is getting the committee's attention via results over the next three weeks.

"We know what we have to do," Fuller said. "We have to win matches.

"It would be very nice to hold on to the second or even the third seed in our tournament. But we have the top of the conference among our last four matches. Nothing is easy in this conference."

Playing at the Smith Spectrum hasn't been easy for visitors this season. The Aggies are 7-1 at home, their only loss coming in five against Utah on Sept. 6.

"Altitude does play a factor," Prince said. "The air is so light, the ball carries out of bounds. You can't just crank it on serves or from the back row.

"We just have to make sure we realize we're at altitude, stay focused, not let the external factors, like being on the road or it being really cold, affect us."

Note: Shoji anticipates receiving two letters of intent tomorrow, the first day of the early national signing period. Hawaii's two available scholarships will go to 6-foot-1 middle Amber Kaufman of Branham High in San Jose, and 5-9 setter Dani Mafua of Mid-Pacific.

Both made verbal commitments, as has 5-11 middle Careena Onasai (Word of Life), who will walk on next fall. Also, Elise Duggins, the younger sister of former UH all-American Lauren, may be headed for the Wahine program. The 5-8 libero from Fullerton, Calif., has received her release from Long Beach State, where she played in 2004, and has contacted UH about transferring.