Just another Monday in Gym I. The same routine as the first week in January when preparing for a Thursday volleyball match.

The only difference is what this Thursday's match means for Hawaii. It's win or come back home for the Warriors when taking on host and top seed Stanford in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament semifinal.

“;I think our mentality is the same,”; UH senior middle blocker Matt Rawson said. “;We're trying to get a little better in practice.

“;Our confidence is better from the last time we played (Stanford). We're playing better as a team, gotten better at serving and passing, and defensively. Winning (Saturday's quarterfinal over Pepperdine) feels good and it's going to help us win this next one.”;

The Warriors were scheduled to leave this morning for their first MPSF semifinal appearance since 2003. Their collective mind-set was not to come back until May 9, returning with the NCAA title.

“;We plan on winning it all,”; Warrior senior libero Ric Cervantes said. “;Stanford will be tough, but we have the grit to grind another one out.

“;We're in desperation mode. For them (the Cardinal), even if they lose, they're probably going to get the at-large berth. We have to win it all to get in. No way they're going to want it more than we do.”;

Hawaii opened the MPSF season at Stanford, getting swept both nights. It was the only road series UH didn't gain a split.

The Warriors, with a new coaching staff and still-evolving lineup, were still getting to know each other.

“;There was still some doubts as to who could do what,”; Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. “;We hadn't traveled together before and that helps define the personality of a team. And I think we were still coming off that hangover of beating (then-No. 1) USC.

“;I think we know more who we are now. Jonas (freshman opposite Umlauft) is playing at a much higher level than when we last played Stanford. We knew we didn't play as well as we had against them in November, didn't play as well as we had against SC. It was for us to figure out why and I think we've been doing that all season.

“;We're going to play our game and see if it's enough to beat them. Our mind-set is we have to win to advance. We have to win Thursday to play Saturday and to win Saturday to play next Thursday (NCAA semifinal).”;

Hawaii, which has never won the MPSF postseason tournament, has not won a semifinal since 2002. That was the year the Warriors went on to capture the NCAA championship, a title they later vacated due to an NCAA eligibility infraction.