Twelfth-ranked Hawai'i has a message for those who forgot the 58 ties and 24 lead changes of its white-knuckle Northwestern volleyball victory Friday, and remember only the utter frustration against Stanford Saturday.

The Rainbow Wahine (5-3) remember it all going into their matches against 23rd-ranked Cal Poly (6-3) tonight and tomorrow at Stan Sheriff Center.

They recall every dropped ball, shanked pass and missed assignment, along with each rally, flurry of aces, open swing from the front row and spectacular dig. They realize how low they can go, and what altitude is possible.

They are absolutely sure they can soar, after all they have already been through.

"The confidence is there," sophomore Jessica Keefe insists. "We know we can do better, we can perform to our potential. When we string more of those moments together, we'll have more of a collective confidence as a group. There's a definite air about us. We know we can do great things. It's just doing them on a consistent basis."

Keefe and the rest of the 'Bows are not naive.

They know Tara Hittle, their all-conference hitter with the all-world attitude, is out for the season with injury. And All-American Kanoe Kamana'o is practicing, but not at full strength.

Half the team is hurting and so many have missed so much practice and game time that consistency has been tough to come by. Hawai'i has been humbled by poor health, and poor play.

Turning it around will be tedious. It can also be fun. It has to be, according to junior Raeceen Woolford. She found out firsthand, after a nightmarish opening weekend, how crucial it is to "free it up."

Woolford believes UH coach Dave Shoji's favorite game phrase is the most effective way the Rainbow Wahine can turn this roller-coaster season around. After all their time together in the gym, she is absolutely convinced this team is capable.

"It's not as hard as we're making it out to be," Woolford said. "It's not big hype, nothing life-changing. It's just remembering we've always had it in us and just having fun again, keeping it simple."

"Simple," against a schedule that opens with ranked opponents seven of the first 10 matches, for the second straight year.

The 'Bows are being out-hit, out-set, out-served and out-dug going into this series. The only statistics they lead are blocking — thanks to Kari Gregory's Top-20 national performance — and serve reception errors.

Yet they have a winning record and have shown a tenacious knack for coming back — against teams outside the Top 10.

Walk-on freshman Jayme Lee has thrived as the new libero. Sophomore Jamie Houston is 12th in the country at more than five kills a game. Sarah Mason averaged 4 1/2 kills and digs and served nine aces in a match while replacing Hittle last week.

It is not the big things that are holding Hawai'i back, but the minute things.

"We've been falling short, but the potential and possibility to be great is definitely in this gym," Keefe said. "We just all have to be on on the same night, and keep working hard on the little things that break down to bigger things. I have full confidence."

So does Woolford, who hopes she learned from her personal crisis of confidence that first week.

"It really starts with your personal choice," she said. "How are you going to take care of yourself, and then how are you going to contribute to the group. It starts inside yourself."

It also starts with patience, according to Shoji. He has described practices the last week as similar to "junior high," with an emphasis on basics and improving individual skills.

The loss of Hittle, his best ball-control player, has only compounded what already was Hawai'i's most glaring problem. Now, he is trying to "work around his team's limitations" and emphasize its strengths.

Whether Cal Poly will allow that to happen this week is another question. But the 'Bows will have at least one upbeat fan, no matter what.

"I definitely don't want to let them down at all," Hittle said. "I've got to figure out my new role, which will probably be to be real encouraging. I'll be there for them. I'll always be there to help them out. I'm 100 percent still into the team, and with the team mentally and emotionally. I'm physically there, but I just can't help them physically."

Shoji said he would still like to red-shirt freshmen Dani Mafua and Amber Kaufman, who have yet to play this season.

Mafua, out of Mid-Pacific Institute, is the third-string setter and Kamana'o's heir apparent. Kaufman, a 6-foot high jumper, can play middle or right.

"It's what's best for the program," Shoji said. "If they are not able to contribute a lot their first year, or any year, then it would probably be better for them on the back end of their career.

"Amber can definitely be a better player her fifth year than her first year. Both of them can. Amber is relatively new to the game. She has physical qualities you can't teach, so there's a lot to work with."

Senior Alicia Arnott, who started two years ago, has elected to red-shirt with hopes of playing a bigger role next year.

NOTES

The starting time of the Nevada match here on Oct. 8 has been moved up an hour, to 4 p.m.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.