“;Take pride in the B side.”;

That's the mantra for Hawaii's “;second”; team during this season's practices. The leader is junior setter Stephanie Brandt, who runs the Rainbow Wahine offense on the non-starting side of the court.

“;We make sure we have fun out there, but at the same time, we hold the other side accountable,”; Brandt said.

On Sept. 29, the “;other side”; wasn't composed of her teammates. It was Western Athletic Conference opponent San Jose State and, with sophomore Dani Mafua ailing, Brandt was back in the spot she held for most of last season: starting setter.

Brandt had the Wahine hitting .317, hitting 1.000 herself (3-for-3), with 10 digs and an ace. Her favorite statistic? The 5-foot-9 Brandt was in on three of the team's five blocks.

“;That was fun, being back in the front row for the first time in a long time,”; she said. “;And it was fun getting to play a whole game.”;

But losing her starting position hasn't been so pleasant. Brandt has been used to playing ... a lot ... and being very successful.

She was the MVP for all four seasons at University High in Irvine, Calif., and the team captain for three. Brandt was all-state as a senior en route to being named the county Female Athlete of the Year.

She committed early to UC Santa Barbara. In her one season with the Gauchos, Brandt led the Big West in assists and aces, and was named to the conference's all-freshman team.

Transferring to Hawaii last year, she became the Wahine's starting setter the second match of the season. Brandt was named second-team All-WAC and a member of the WAC all-tournament team.

But after hard-fought battles through spring and fall camp, Mafua emerged as the starter. Brandt has been relegated to defensive/serving specialist and reserve setter.

“;We had to decide on one setter and we went with Dani,”; Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. “;They're different in their deliveries and Mafua gives us what we needed, a faster attack.

“;Brandt continues to give us life every time she goes in, whether to serve, play defense or set. Something good usually happens when she's out there.”;

It doesn't go unnoticed by her teammates.

“;Stephanie brings a lot of fire, is always throwing herself all over the court,”; Wahine senior reserve hitter Jessica Keefe said. “;Her effort is phenomenal and she's such a great leader.

“;It has to be a difficult position for her, but she's done a good job at accepting her role.”;

The lemons could have turned into sour lemonade, but Brandt has sweetened the situation by staying positive.

“;No one wants to be on the bench,”; she said. “;But you respect that coach's decision, take your role and be ready to go in.

“;It was hard to deal with at first. But playing is still fun and I love playing defense. I don't mind being a back-row sub. I love the challenge of not letting anything hit the floor. I try to see if I can keep every single ball up.”;

There has been no thought of transferring again, where she'd only have one year of eligibility. Brandt enjoys being part of the Wahine tradition.

“;I will never get used to the fans, though,”; she said. “;It's so amazing, the respect from the community, the sense of community that's here.”;

The role reversal has been a symbiotic relationship for Brandt and Mafua with mutual benefits: Each has made the other better.

“;We support each other,”; Mafua said. “;By watching her, it makes me want to do what she does.

“;I like how aggressive she is, how mentally tough. She's a big asset. Her setting (at San Jose State) says a lot about the depth we have. Other people can fill in when others are out, can do just as well or even better.”;

There's a lot of pride on that “;B”; side. Brandt makes sure of it.