JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Hawaii's Susie Boogaard made a dig last night against Nebraska at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Huskers show Wahine
their hand

It may have not counted in the standings, but it was far from meaningless. Both the Hawaii and Nebraska women's volleyball teams took last night's exhibition seriously.

Very seriously.

These teams never know when they will meet for real.

It could come as early as the first tournament of the season, the AVCA/NACWAA Volleyball Showcase that the Huskers will host and the Wahine likely will be a part of.

It could be in the final four. Even for the national championship.

Last night at the Stan Sheriff Center, it was for fun and pride and some memories should they meet this fall. The Huskers will remember that they were able to rally against the Rainbow Wahine for a 26-28, 20-25, 25-22, 27-25, 15-10 victory in front of 5,953 (6,538) in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

Sarah Pavan, the 2004 National Freshman of the Year, led Nebraska with 22 kills. Christina Houghtelling added 15 and Dani Mancuso 13, including the last two kills, as coach John Cook used just seven of his nine players. Melissa Elmer finished with a double-double (10 kills, 10 blocks) and Tracy Stalls had 10 kills.

"If nothing else, we got a lot out of this mentally," the 6-foot-5 Pavan said. "It would have been really easy for us to say, 'It's spring, we're down two-nothing, no big deal.' But instead we got ourselves together and pushed for those last three games. That's a testament to our mental strength to show it in spring because who knows what could happen in the fall."

Wahine coach Dave Shoji used 14 of 15 roster players, getting a team-high 16 kills from Tara Hittle, who played all five games, and 10 from Victoria Prince in four games.

Making impressive debuts were redshirt freshman Nickie Thomas (four kills, seven blocks) and Oregon transfer Sarah Mason (six kills, 556 hitting percentage).

"We got to see a lot of players, in that respect it was good," Shoji said. "I think everybody had a really good moment or two, but not enough. We would have liked to have won tonight but that wasn't the main emphasis for us.

"We were in Game 3 and Game 4, didn't close it out. I liked some of what I saw, didn't like all of it. It was still pretty good volleyball for so early in the season."

Hawaii pulled out Game 1, thanks in part to some smart hitting. Nebraska had four blocks in taking a 10-8 lead, then none the rest of the way as the Wahine found ways to hit around, over or through the taller Huskers.

Prince was perfect on her first four swings, putting down her fourth kill as the Wahine took its first game-point at 24-22. Pavan's seventh kill and Prince's first hitting error pulled Nebraska into a 24-all tie.

The game was tied twice more. Alicia Arnott started finding her rhythm and her second kill gave the Wahine their third chance at ending it. It was over when Pavan hit wide.

The Wahine jumped out to a 6-0 lead in Game 2 despite only having one kill. The other five points came courtesy of a UH block on Houghtelling and three other Nebraska hitting errors.

The Huskers started finding success ... a lot of success ... outscoring Hawaii 8-1. It was a battle until Arnott overcame her usual slow start.

At 15-15, Arnott put down five of the Wahine's next six kills, giving Hawaii the lead for good at 21-17. Nebraska held off one game-point to close to 24-20 but when Mancuso hit long on a pipe set from the back row.

Against a revolving Wahine lineup in Games 3 and 4, the Huskers found their rhythm. Shoji went back to his starters for Game 5 but Nebraska had taken control. Hawaii got as close as 9-9 and 10-11 but the Huskers scored the final four points.

"It was very fun," Hittle said. "We have a good team, they have a good team. You get so pumped up when it's so competitive."

And Shoji's prediction?

"I think they'll be No. 1 when the season starts and we'll be somewhere in the Top 5," he said.