What does it say when the country's most watched volleyball program plays its best on the road?

Sixth-ranked Hawai'i (22-3) plays Utah Valley (10-11) in a non-conference match tonight at Stan Sheriff Center, home to the largest crowds in collegiate volleyball. The Rainbow Wahine are coming off their most lopsided win of the year and a remarkably efficient road trip that saw them extend their away record to 8-0 this season.

They haven't even lost a set away from home, for the first time in history. They are beating opponents by an average score of 25-17.

Since 2002, Hawai'i is 61-2 in an opponent's gym. Those two losses even have an asterisk, coming away from the opponents' regular gym — at Las Cruces High School in 2006 (to New Mexico State) and Devaney Center, before 13,000-plus last year at Nebraska.

"I think we play better here because we have such a wide fan base and so many people supporting us," UH freshman Stephanie Ferrell said. "Then again, on the road we have that hunger — we want it more because we're on the road.

"And on the road, we're not as nervous because we're not playing in front of our fans. We go after it more. We're not afraid of making mistakes."

Distractions are few away from Hawai'i, particularly when you play in the Western Athletic Conference. UH coach Dave Shoji, like Ferrell, won't say his team plays better on the Mainland. But, he still can't explain why it has been so tough for the 'Bows to terminate in second sets at SSC, and what the heck happened when it was swept here by NMSU.

Tonight, against a school that was a junior college a few years ago and lost to Boise State this season, Hawai'i might want to pretend it is on the road. Ferrell says the focus is to "keep momentum high." Shoji, who scheduled this match to "stay sharp," hopes that is incentive enough.

"We have played well on the road, no doubt about it," he said. "Our players have done a really good job of preparing each night. We managed to have some kind of incentive every night. That's really what it's all about. If you have no goal or purpose going into a match, that's when one gets away."

The independent Wolverines, who beat Brigham Young-Hawai'i in four sets Wednesday, are one of the few Division I teams free for a date this week. They are coached by Sam Atoa, who worked at Polynesian Cultural Center and played for BYUH in the early 1980s. He has guided UVU to an 87-73 record in five-plus DI seasons and it has won two of the last three Independent Championships, which it hosts in Orem.

The Rainbow Wahine, who have clinched at least a share of their 13th straight WAC regular-season title, are 16th in the latest NCAA RPI. It is the last power rating before the NCAA Tournament. Penn State remains first, followed by Nebraska, Minnesota, Texas and Illinois. NMSU, tied for first in the WAC, is 35th.

NOTES

Martina (Cincerova) Vernerova (1985-88) traveled the farthest for tonight's 5 p.m. alumnae match, which features 30 former players. She has moved back to the Czech Republic and lives just outside Prague, in the house she grew up in, with her husband and son. Vernerova works for an international casino company and still plays volleyball in Czech leagues.

Vernerova flew to the East Coast, then met former teammate DeDe (Dunstone) Angel (1986, '88) in San Diego and flew here. Diana Jessie Nunn (1984-87) came in Wednesday from Dallas, after finding a $387 fare on the Internet. Olympic silver medalist Robyn Ah Mow-Santos is playing, as is Teisa (Fotu) Auva'a (2004), who is pregnant with her first child.

Cayley Thurlby (2003-06) is here to play and work on support for her beach volleyball career. She is moving to Long Beach, Calif., to train with Holly McPeek. Thurlby and her beach partner, Renee Bizzieri, advanced to their first main draw in September, finishing 25th and earning $1,750 in the $500,000 AVP Crocs Cup Shootout Manhattan Beach Open.

All-session packages for next week's WAC Tournament are $45 for lower-level seats and $40 for upper level. The tournament has five matches, beginning at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, with semifinals at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday and the final at 3 p.m. next Sunday (Nov. 23). Hawai'i will play the 7:30 p.m. match regardless of its seed Thursday, and will also play the late match Friday if it advances.

Single-day tickets go on sale Monday at $16 (upper level) and $19 (lower).

The WAC and its Website partner JumpTV Sports will stream all WAC Tournament matches. Viewers can sign up by visiting WAC.tv. Single matches are $9.95 or the full tournament package (eight matches) is $19.95.

Hawai'i ranks in the top five nationally in assists (third at 14.04), kills (third at 15.0) and hitting percentage (fifth at .297). Individually, Amber Kaufman ranks 12th in aces (0.53) and 32nd in hitting (.367), Dani Mafua is 13th in assists (11.59) and Jamie Houston 30th in kills (4.05).

With Hawai'i leading the country in attendance, averaging 6,452 fans a match, the WAC ranks third among conferences. Its average is 1,661. The Big Ten is first, at 1,917, with the Big 12 next at 1,721.