WAHINE VOLLEYBALL PLAYBOOK

Fifth Aston Imua
Wahine Challenge

Schedule-Tonight: No. 20 Southern Cal (1-1) vs. Nevada (3-0), 5 p.m.; No. 3 Hawaii (4-0) vs. Tennessee (3-2), 30 minutes after first match completed.Tomorrow: Tennessee vs. Nevada, 5 p.m.; Hawaii vs. Southern Cal, 30 minutes after first match completed. Saturday: Southern Cal vs. Tennessee, 2 p.m.Sunday: Hawaii vs. Southern Cal, 5 p.m. Stan Sheriff Center.

Coaches-Hawaii: Dave Shoji (25th season, 685-135-1); USC: Jerritt Elliott (interim, 1st, 1-1). Nevada: Devin Scruggs (3rd, 37-26) Tennessee: Rob Patrick (3rd, 37-31).

Series: Hawaii leads USC, 17-14. Last meeting: In Los Angeles, 1996 (UH won, 3-1). Last Trojan victory: USC swept the 1990 Thanksgiving weekend series, 3-0 and 3-2. Hawaii leads Nevada, 7-1. Last meeting: A 1995 Big West series in Honolulu (UH won both nights, 3-0). Last Wolf Pack win: In Reno, Nevada split with UH in 1992, winning the first night 3-2, losing the next 0-3. Hawaii leads Tennessee, 4-0. Last meeting: 1985 in Klum Gym (UH won, 3-0). The Lady Vols have taken one game off the Wahine, during a 2-1 pool play loss at the 1982 NIVT at UCLA.

Challenge history:: Hawaii is the only team to have competed in all four previous events, winning all four titles. The Wahine have never dropped a match.

Top players-Hawaii: Heather Bown (6-3 Sr. MB), Jessica Sudduth (6-2 Jr. LS), Veronica Lima (6-2 So. MB), Jennifer Carey (6-1 Fr. S), Lily Kahumoku (6-2 Fr. LS) USC: Antoinette Polk (5-10 Jr. OH) , Janae Henry (6-0 Jr. OH), Tracy Lindquist (5-7 Fr. S), Jennifer Pahl (6-1 So. MB). Nevada: Lauren Netherby (5-11 Sr. OH), Kellie LaBossiere (6-0 So. MB), Shannon Stemier (6-0 So. OH), Navonna Chambers (5-10 So. OH). Tennessee: Stephanie Knight (6-1 So. MB), Jennifer Elliot (5-11 Fr. OH), Adiana Wilson (6-2 So. MB).

About the Wahine: Hawaii won its fifth Hawaiian Airlines Classic title with victories over Minnesota, Pittsburgh and then No. 10 UCLA. Bown was named the MVP of the event with Lima selected to the all-tournament team. Monday's 3-1 victory over the Bruins marked the debut of freshman hitter Lily Kahumoku in the starting lineup. The Kamehameha Schools product responded with team highs of 19 kills and 15 digs, hit .410 and served for the final five points of the match ... The Wahine had three players with double-kill figures against UCLA and five with double-dig figures... Bown was named the WAC Player of the Week Monday ... The Wahine moved up a spot to No. 3 in this week's USA Today/AVCA Top 25 poll and are No. 7 in the Volleyball magazine poll.

About the Trojans: USC is coming off a tough loss at Long Beach State Saturday, when the Women of Troy fell, 12-15, 15-13, 13-15, 15-10, 15-7, to the defending NCAA champs. Polk led USC with 24 kills and 17 digs and Henry added 16 kills and 12 digs ... The Trojans opened the LBS Tournament with a 3-0 win over North Carolina in 70 minutes. Polk and Amber Oliver each had 12 kills... USC finished last season with a loss to Florida at the NCAA East Regional semifinal. Florida defeated Hawaii, 3-2, the next night to advance to the final four ... The Trojans graduated two all-Americans, Jennifer Kessy and Jasmina Marinkovic, as well as all-Pac-10 setter Janice Mounts, off that team, which finished 24-6 ... Coaching the Trojans on a one-year interim basis is assistant Elliot. USA national team coach Mick Haley will take over at USC following the 2000 Olympics.

About the Wolf Pack: Nevada won its Silver Legacy Invitational for the third time last weekend, beating St. Mary's, Fresno State and Duke. Chambers was named the MVP of the tournament while Netherby and Stemler were named to the all-tournament team.Nevada needed five games to down the Tar Heels. LaBossiere had 23 kills and 19 digs in the title match... Coach Scruggs played collegiately at Pacific (1987-90)... Nevada won the Big West's East Division last season to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolf Pack lost to Miami (Ohio), 3-0, in the first round.

About the Lady Vols: Tennessee opened the season with a 3-1 win at Radford, then a second-place finish at the James Madison Classic last week. The Vols defeated Illinois-Chicago and Providence in the tournament, then dropped the championship match to the host Dukes, 3-0. UT was without sophomore middle Ariana Wilson (illness) and sophomore setter Erica Lear (ankle). The Lady Vols began their trip out to Hawaii with a stop in San Francisco, losing to USF, 5-15, 15-7, 15-2, 12-15, 15-12, in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Kelli Scott paced four UT players in double-kill figures with 16 and had a match-high 14 digs. Junior hitter Laura Paul stepped in for the second match at setter for the injured Lear ... UT finished 19-10 overall, 7-7 in the four in the SEC Eastern Division.

On the air: All Hawaii matches live on KFVE (Channel 5) and on KCCN (1420-AM).

Tickets: $5-$9 (upper level only).