No one here wants to see ninth-ranked Hawai'i recover from last weekend's losses to Top 10 teams more than the 3-2 Rainbow Wahine. But Kawika Shoji comes close.

Kawika, whose father Dave has coached UH 32 years, leaves next week for his freshman year at Stanford. He takes All-State Player of the Year honors in basketball and volleyball with him, along with a volleyball scholarship and recent summers spent traveling with the the national team's junior program. His academic resume was all "A's" and two "B's" in his four-year high school career at Iolani.

Kawika also might be his father's most relentless critic, in a family that freely admits the guy who guided Hawai'i to four national championships is almost always in for it when he sets foot in the house after a match.

"Sometimes I think they are a little too critical — all three in my family," Shoji said. "They want to see us win and I can listen to a point. But when they say the obvious things like, 'You're passing poorly,' I'm like, 'Next subject.' "

It could get worse this week. Shoji's daughter, Cobey, is in town with eighth-ranked Stanford. She is in her third year as the Cardinal's Director of Volleyball Operations.

Kawika admits to being the most critical of the Shoji clan. He doesn't know what he will major in at Stanford, but believes a future in coaching is "probably inevitable," ideally after playing in the Olympics.

For now, at least outside the confines of the family home, he is much more likely than his father to look at improving Hawai'i from the inside out.

While Shoji speaks in specifics about the technical aspects of the game that must improve at this week's Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge, his oldest son talks of the Rainbow Wahine "finding an identity" and getting healthy.

Shoji is working on how to prevent hitters from abusing his block, particularly with Stanford's Kristin Richards and Cynthia Barboza coming up Saturday. He wants to tweak his players' technique and might move a middle to the right side to provide a bigger wall.

But he adds that "passing has to be our No. 1 concern" and any lineup switch would have to take that into account. He also is trying to find a creative way to put his players' "volleyball knowledge" in fast forward so their instincts take over and erase the doubts that have held them back — literally and figuratively.

Kawika is more about basics, and sounds more patient than his father lets on.

"The basic skills aren't finely tuned yet starting with passing," Kawika said. "It'll take some time and it starts everyday in practice. It's the coaches and the players that need to work together to improve.

"Everybody gets a little frustrated, but realistically it will take time for this team to be really good. Once they get healthy and get more practice time, they'll be fine."

Kawika believes the best aspect of this team is its offensive balance and defensive aptitude. His father agrees, particularly after seeing Jamie Houston, Kari Gregory and freshman libero Jayme Lee anchor some sensational streaks against two of the country's best teams last week.

But Shoji is searching for a way to transform those streaks into routine reality.

"There were several points in each of the matches we lost when we played really well, we could play with anybody," he said. "It was just not a long enough stretch and we weren't steady enough. We made too many gross errors and it just kills us. In the second game against UCLA, we made six errors in a row at the end. Obviously, we can't do that."

Kawika has succeeded at the highest level in high school, winning state championships in two sports. Now he goes to a team that was 4-24 last season, yet plays a much more sophisticated game than anything he has seen — or at least played against. He has watched endless hours of volleyball with his father. At this point, Kawika says they usually agree on most aspects of the game.

"We're pretty similar," Kawika said. "When he comes home I tell him things and he feels exactly the same way. We see the same things on the replays. We watch late into the night."

They prefer to watch the wins. Both learn more from the losses.

"We'll rally," Shoji said. "We go back to work and see if we can get better at all these phases. There's no quick fix and no finger-pointing at this point. We've just got to suck it up and try and get through it."

NOTES

This is the 12th Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge. Hawai'i has won 10 and is 32-1 overall, its only loss coming against USC in 2001.

Saturday, it was 6-foot-4 Mira Costa senior Alix Klineman at the Stan Sheriff Center, making her official visit to Hawai'i. Sunday, Kamehameha junior Kanani Herring was taking an up-close look at the Rainbow Wahine.

Klineman, generally considered the top prospect this year, is expected to visit more schools before she makes her decision. Herring, The Advertiser's 2005 Player of the Year as a sophomore, has lots of time, though recruits have been verbally committing to schools in their junior year recently.

Amanda Simmons, a 6-3 middle who is a senior at Elk Grove High School in Illinois, verbally committed to UH as a junior and said in July that she would probably make her official visit this month.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.