RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM UH's Stephanie Brandt set against Fresno State in Game 3 yesterday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Wahine wake up in time

What was supposed to be a quick drive-thru victory was delayed at the takeout window last night. That order for a three-item plate lunch was misplaced somewhere between Games 2 and 3.

Instead, No. 12 Hawaii needed an unexpected extra scoop against Fresno State, going four with the Bulldogs for the first time since 2004. Behind Jamie Houston's 24 kills and 16 from Aneli Cubi-Otineru, the Rainbow Wahine needed 2 hours and 8 minutes before finally turning back the Bulldogs 30-17, 30-22, 13-30, 30-22.

A Stan Sheriff Center turnstile crowd of 4,459 (6,361 tickets) saw Hawaii improve to 13-3, 7-0 in Western Athletic Conference play, with a 10th straight victory. Fresno State, getting 11 kills from Alisha McKee, dropped to 4-14 and 2-6 in losing to the Wahine for the 41st consecutive time.

"We lacked focus tonight," Wahine freshman libero Elizabeth Ka'aihue said after finishing with 26 digs and her first collegiate kill. "When we lose our focus, we lose our poise.

"But props to them (Fresno State). They stepped it up, served tough, blocked. It would have been nice to walk out in three easy games but, as Coach Dave (Shoji) reminded us, just like the Stanford-USC (football) game, on any given day a team can beat another team."

While it never came close to matching Stanford's major upset of USC on Saturday, things unraveled quickly in Game 3 for Hawaii. It was a combination of the Bulldogs -- using an unorthodox 4-2 system with two setters and four hitters -- playing well and the Wahine not.

Hawaii's revised lineup -- Dani Mafua at setter, and Kari Gregory and Amanda Simmons at middle -- never found a rhythm. The Wahine found themselves quickly behind at 7-2 and 14-3.

It never got much better, with Fresno State's defense (20 digs) keeping long rallies alive, rallies that the Bulldogs often won. The closest the Wahine came was 25-13, with Cubi-Otineru putting down her 10th kill, but Fresno State finished it off with a 5-0 run, punctuated by Lexi Watson's ace that landed just inside the backline.

Hawaii took control in the middle of Game 4, expanding a 13-9 lead to 19-10 and then 25-13. The Bulldogs refused to go quietly, closing to 29-22 when holding off four match points. Watson netted her fourth serve for an anticlimactic ending.

"I thought it was a pretty good match for us, and not just because of Game 3," said Fresno State coach Ruben Nieves, his team dropping its fifth straight. "I liked how we came out in Game 1. We did hit a bad spell at 15-13 (Ka'aihue served eight straight for a 23-13 UH lead) and I liked how we played in Game 2.

"Losing like we did to Boise State (on Thursday in five in Fresno) was very disappointing. When you're on a losing streak, you go back to the drawing board. Two of our best and smartest players are our two setters, so we decided to do something different."

With Tiffany Hess and Kasey Van Grouw alternating in the front and back rows, it threw off Hawaii's game plan. The Bulldogs also blocked well, committing to stopping Houston consistently, and finishing with a 12.5-8 edge, including a 5-2 advantage in Game 4.

"Being outblocked is disappointing," Shoji said. "But some of that is our coverage behind the block. It was poor and undisciplined. We as coaches haven't emphasized that enough and we need to do a better job as a team. Most of those balls that counted as blocks were playable.

"As I told the players, the theme of the night was Stanford-SC. What's been happening in college football happens in college volleyball. If you're not on your game, you have a chance to lose. We're going to play three matches on the road against teams just like Fresno. We have to do a better job at preparing mentally. We have to go back in and keep working on our skills."

Hittle and Cubi-Otineru had double-doubles -- Hittle with 11 kills and 18 digs, Otineru with 12 digs to go with 16 kills.

Hawaii leaves tomorrow night for a three-match trip.