Seventh-ranked Hawai'i struggled early, but held on to defeat Idaho, 27-29, 25-21, 25-16, 25-14 tonight in its Western Athletic Conference volleyball opener. The match was played before 4,387 at Stan Sheriff Center.

The Rainbow Wahine (8-2, 1-0 WAC) were led by freshman Kanani Herring, who had her fifth double-double before the second set ended and finished with 22 kills and 17 digs. Jamie Houston added 20 kills. Haley Larsen led the Vandals (7-5, 0-1) with 16 kills. She had just eight here a year ago, the only match all season that she did not go into double digits.

In the opening set, Hawai'i appeared hungover from its upset of Washington a week ago. Basic bumps went sideways, coverages were missed completely and critical shots were shanked into the net. Idaho and the 'Bows blasted through 13 ties, with the Vandals erasing two set points, the last on a pass they shanked over the net that fell untouched.

Herring, who gave the 'Bows those set points with her first two kills, put her next attempt into the net to give Idaho its first shot at the set. Herring killed that and Amber Kaufman, who was 6 for 8 , killed another. But, after Hawai'i's ninth hitting error, the Vandals broke through, getting the winning point on Anna McKinney's tip.

Idaho hit .357 in the set, with just one hitting error. It would have only two in the second set — on the 'Bows first blocks — which kept it close after UH scored nine of the first 14 points. Ultimately, the Vandals could not cope with Herring, who went 9 for 14 in the set.

The match turned Hawai'i's way in the third set. By the time the 'Bows pulled ahead 18-12, Idaho had called both its timeouts. It had used both of them at 17-10 in the fourth.

Freshman Stephanie Ferrell played for Aneli Cubi-Otineru, the 'Bows' all-conference hitter, in the first set. Cubi-Otineru suffered a broken nose in practice when she was accidentally hit by a teammate's elbow. She was wearing a protective mask during warmups and entered the match in the second set. Ferrell, who was hitting .330, went 1 for 8 with four errors in the opener.

The Rainbows play Boise State Saturday night at 7. The Broncos (3-7, 1-0), picked in the preseason to finish seventh, swept San Jose State Thursday. The Spartans were picked third, with Idaho.

QUICK SET: Idaho's Director of Volleyball Operations is Kerry Yamamoto, a 2004 graduate of 'Iolani. Yamamoto will graduate in December in Finance and Accounting, and plans to return to Hawai'i.