The girl who would be Prince

Thomas is one of many hoping to fill the All-American's spot in the middle

PLAY the Hawaii volleyball word association game.

Rainbow Wahine?

Tradition ... defense, winning, fans.

Strength?

Setting ... Ka'apuni, Ah Mow, Kamana'o.

Offense?

Big bangers ... Williams, Willoughby, Kahumoku.

Middles?

Bonus ... Collins, Eagye, Ljungquist, Bown, Prince.

Ask the Hawaii coaches and players for an answer to "Surprise for fans" ...

Nickie Thomas.

The sophomore middle is waging quite a battle to be in the starting lineup for Hawaii when the No. 7 Wahine open the season with No. 19 Pepperdine on Aug. 25.

The departure of All-American Victoria Prince left a big vacancy at one of the middle spots. A vacancy that Thomas is more than ready to fill.

"I am really excited about getting a chance to play more," the 6-foot-3 Thomas said. "I went home to Texas over the summer and worked out with my former high school setter and club coach, trying hard to make myself better and be more consistent.

"I'd really like to be like Victoria, consistent every game."

Prince ranked ninth nationally in hitting percentage (.402) last season and 18th in the country in blocks (1.56 bpg).

The competition for Thomas is returning All-WAC junior Juliana Sanders; junior Kari Gregory, who shared the spot with Sanders in 2004; junior Caroline Blood; and athletic freshman Amber Kaufman, who might be moved to the outside or redshirted.

"Nickie has to be mentioned right there with Gregory and Sanders," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "She's made the greatest strides during the offseason and is probably the healthiest of the three.

"Offensively she's elevating and hitting the ball high. She's worked hard in the weight room, is physically stronger and jumps higher than when she got here. She's worked very hard at her skills and it's paying off for her."

"Every aspect of her game has gotten better," added Sanders. "She's more confident, hits the ball 10 times harder, her blocking is better.

"Mentally, she is so focused on the game. She's playing well."

This is the time for discarding the rust accumulated since December. The team had a few weeks of organized practice and play, with tournaments on the mainland, and a summer of individual workouts and optional free play.

Thomas did a lot of 1-on-1 work with Jessee Ericson, her high school setter, who will be playing for New Mexico State this season.

"Worked on a lot of my timing," Thomas said. "Basically, Kari and Juliana are both really good. At the end of last season, I realized what I had to do if I was going to play over them. I had to be better.

"It's quite a battle, a lot of good competition, and everyone is making each other better. I'm just hoping all the improvement I've made, being really aggressive, will help me get more playing time."

As surprising as Thomas has been, what may complicate things further for Hawaii coach Dave Shoji is freshman Kaufman. Described by Wahine Tara Hittle as "able to walk on clouds," Kaufman -- a prep state-champion high jumper -- has impressed in practice.

"Amber's athleticism gives her a good chance to be in the mix," Shoji said. "Coming in, I wasn't quite sure where she was. A lot of times high school players come in and are overwhelmed, physically and mentally. But she's hanging in there and that's a pleasant surprise.

"We've just got to make a decision about her."

As well as to what to do with his three veteran options.

"It is a battle, mentally and physically, among the three of us," Gregory said. "It's frustrating but it's a good frustration because it's making all of us better. And it's preparing us for the top blockers we're going to see this season."

Thomas said she's been patient ... until now. She wants to be able to contribute on a full-time basis instead of making brief appearances as she did last season in 15 matches.

"Paying dues has been very good motivation," she said. "It's just makes you more determined to be out there."

Note: Junior Caroline Blood has been added to the group trying to earn a libero/defensive specialist spot. "She wanted to see if that would be a way to get her some playing time," Shoji said. The Wahine now have eight players vying for that defensive position. Shoji has devised a serve-and-pass competition that should help him make decisions as to who to keep on the roster.