Wahine face
Utah State

SALT LAKE CITY » Today's trip to Logan, Utah, will become a familiar one for the Hawaii volleyball team.

Utah State joins the WAC next season.

RAINBOW WAHINE VS. UTAH STATE When: 4 p.m. Where: Logan, Utah TV: None Radio: Live, KKEA 1420-AM

The Hawaii-USU rivalry was a great one in the early years of the Wahine volleyball program. It was right up there with UCLA.

When the Aggies came to Honolulu, the matches packed what was then known as the HIC and overstuffed Klum Gym. And when Hawaii won its first national championship in 1979, it came against Utah State, making it even more sweet.

Hawaii has a 27-7 edge in the series and has won the last 15 meetings. It likely will be 16 after tonight; the Aggies are down to nine players and last week had contacted UH about canceling the match.

"We're pretty beat up with four starters, including our setter, hurt," Utah State Burt Fuller said. "But our administration wanted us to play it and we should. My thought was I didn't want Hawaii to make the trip for a nothing match.

"When we scheduled this, we were looking for good match experience and thought it would help our RPI. Whether or not we could get a win ... we were just hoping to take a game or two off them."

Utah State limped home this past weekend, finishing out Big West Conference play with losses at Pacific and Cal State Northridge. The Aggies placed eighth in the 10-team league at 5-13.

Fuller said he would miss playing in the Big West because the league is stronger overall in volleyball, getting more teams than the WAC into the NCAA Tournament annually, and the travel is easier.

"I'm hoping that with New Mexico State, Idaho and us, it will help raise the stature of the WAC and maybe we'll get more teams in," he said. "But you never know what the (selection) committee thinks. We didn't get in last year but they took Pacific, who finished behind us. Hopefully, (WAC teams) Rice and Nevada can get in.

"I don't know if joining the WAC will change much in the way we recruit. We're pretty spread out, from Hawaii to the Czech Republic."

On the roster from Hawaii is freshman Monarisa Ale, a Kahuku High graduate. Zuzana Cernianska, a junior opposite-turned-setter, is from Prague.

"Monarisa is a great kid who has accepted all the roles we've given her," Fuller said. "We've had her in the middle, on the right, as a defensive specialist. She is so well-rounded and, with all the changes we've had to make, she's been a real pleasure to have."