OMAHA, Neb. — The AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase that opens the Rainbow Wahine's season tonight will be the first look at four of the country's five top-ranked teams. It is also a reunion of some of the sport's most canny coaches, and Hawai'i's Dave Shoji counts Stanford's John Dunning and Penn State's Russ Rose among his closest colleagues.

There are no secrets between the three, who have known one another more than 20 years. There is, however, a long history of respect, offbeat good times, deep volleyball conversations and even deeper competitiveness, which extends from the court to the golf course.

All have been honored by USA Volleyball with All-Time Great Coach Awards, Dunning and Rose following Shoji into the elite circle this year. All have coached for decades and won more than 82 percent of their matches.

Shoji, whose fourth-ranked Rainbows play top-ranked Nebraska at Qwest Center, has won four national championships. Dunning, whose third-ranked Cardinal play the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions in the tournament opener, has four NCAA titles — two each with Pacific and Stanford, including last year. Rose won his lone championship six years ago in Honolulu.

He still remembers Shoji calling him at the hotel to wish him luck, as he has at every final four PSU played. Rose says that thoughtfulness is part of what drew him to Shoji initially. Shoji "blames" the friendship on Rose's "dry sense of humor," which he believes they share. Shoji and Dunning got to know each other when their daughters played as juniors. They got to like each other when Dunning took over at UOP in 1985.

"He's a good guy," Dunning said. "Also, there's a respect thing. When you're young you want to get to know somebody like that because he already had the reputation of being a very good game coach."

Rose has always been intrigued by the style of Shoji's teams. Early on, he was enthralled by watching relatively small Hawai'i players — "some of whom looked like they could take you outside and beat the hell out of you as well as beat you on the volleyball court" — control bigger opponents with ballhandling.

That style is still prevalent in Manoa, but since 1987 it has not quite been enough. Hawai'i has still won, lots, and played in four final fours since 1996. But that fifth championship has been elusive. How do Dunning and Rose think their friend feels about that?

"I think there was a point in his career where that would have killed him," Dunning says. "Now, I don't think he thinks about it too much. He wants it as bad as anybody and you don't temper that feeling by also being OK with where you are. His team knows how bad he wants to win and they probably have a better chance now because he doesn't put as much pressure on them as he used to."

Rose laughs at any thought of Shoji getting frustrated as he looks back.

"Oh God, no. Don't be a glutton. He's won four national championships," Rose says. "Who has won more? I would hope it doesn't bug him. Even though he's a competitive guy, he's been back in the final four. They lost one match last year. What are they ranked now?"

Penn State will be in next week's 18th annual Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic, then returns to Nebraska for the Players Challenge. The Nittany Lions have five starters back, including seniors Sam Tortorello, a two-time All-American at setter, and all-Big Ten libero Kaleena Walters.

"I have a good libero and a good setter," Rose says. "That's a good place to start. The other things are kind of up in the air, but I'll know more in three days and even more a week from now and more than that when we come back to Nebraska."

Stanford also has five starters back, but is missing the most dynamic player in the game from a year ago. Ogonna Nnamani graduated after leading the Cardinal on a 15-match winning streak to close the season. In that surge, she averaged nine kills a game and hit .440.

Her heir apparent is the game's top recruit. Freshman Cynthia Barboza was an alternate for the 2004 Olympic team and has spent 10 of the last 15 months with the national team.

"That changes your maturity level," Dunning says. "She's seen the speed. That's the biggest difference for a player coming to a new level. It's faster and you don't know if you're ready. I don't think there's any question she's ready."

Even with Barboza's amazing attributes, Dunning thinks the best thing about his team is that it knows she won't replace Nnamani: "Our team understands, I think, that for us to be good this year you don't replace anybody. The team gets better."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.