Coach: Dave Shoji, 1,016-175 in 35th year, second in career victories

Numbers: Ranked third in coaches' poll and have won last 28, dropping six sets ... missed just one NCAA Tournament (1992) ... 25th regional and ninth final four, but first since 2003 ... won NCAA titles in 1982, '83 and '87 and AIAW title in 1979 ... 69-24 in NCAA Tournament ...won last 12 WAC championships ... last home match was Nov. 8.
Faces: All-American Kanani Danielson (5-10 So.) was Most Outstanding Player at Stanford Regional and WAC Player of Year, averaging 5.14 kills per set in postseason, third among all participants ... All-American Aneli Cubi-Otineru (5-11 Sr.) is second player in school history (after Olympian Teee Williams) to get 1,000 kills in three years ... setter Dani Mafua (5-10) ranks second in postseason assists (12.79) ... Amber Kaufman (6-0 Sr.), UH's fourth all-region player, ranks fourth nationally in hitting ... Stephanie Ferrell (6-1 So.) had career-high 19 kills and three blocks in regional semifinal against Illinois ... Brittany Hewitt (6-3 Fr.) averaging 1.71 blocks in postseason.
Top 50 nationally: Kaufman is fourth nationally in hitting (.436), Mafua 10th in assists (11.81), Cubi-Otineru 11th in aces (0.52), Hewitt 15th in blocks (1.39) and 45th in hitting (.353), Danielson 29th in kills (4.25). As a team, Hawai'i is third in hitting (.313), 11th in kills (14.63), 12th in assists (13.59), 16th in aces (1.73) and 40th in blocks (2.46).
Shoji on Lions' legacy: "All I know is we're in for a battle because of Russ, the way he prepares his team. They are relentless. I've never been in the practice gym with him but he's doing something right with his players. He gets them stirred up. They play so hard and so composed. It's all about Russ. He's got great players, but he's a great coach."