OMAHA, Neb. — Last year's Cinderella volleyball team couldn't even put up a serious search for its missing slipper as the clock ticked down to midnight at the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase yesterday.

The fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine, who grew so accustomed to comebacks in last year's fairy tale season, started 2005 by getting shucked by top-ranked Nebraska. The Cornhuskers, much taller to say nothing of more talented, clobbered Hawai'i, 30-23, 30-26, 30-21.

The 'Bows blew out of the gate — and blew many minds — a year ago by winning their first 30 with a totally revamped lineup. They have now lost their last two.

Nothing that happened in last year's wondrous season prepared them for last night. They hadn't been swept in two years or lost two in a row in four years. They hadn't been beaten this badly in a very long time.

"Maybe the final four a few years ago (2002 against Stanford)," said UH coach Dave Shoji. "Just too many weapons. Nebraska was too balanced tonight. A lot of times we were confused because they were running an offense we really hadn't seen. We just finally got down. We needed to have somebody to rally the troops and no one did. Everybody was in a daze."

Except for Sarah Mason, who was on the bench in agony after landing on a Cornhusker at the end of Game 2 and injuring her right ankle. Mason, who transferred home after spending her first two seasons at Oregon, was starting in place of Tara Hittle, who suffered the same injury in practice two weeks ago.

It was a sad start to a promising season, with Hawai'i returning every starter and more. It was also one match, in front of a tournament-record 10,028 red-hued fans. The Rainbow Wahine would love to start all over again back here in December at an NCAA Regional.

"I'm upset that we lost, but I'm not going to take it as any more than that," UH All-American Victoria Prince said. "We play Penn State tomorrow night. That's what our focus is. The only thing we're going to do with this match is learn from our mistakes."

The season starts again for UH today when it faces the fifth-ranked Nittany Lions in the consolation match at Qwest Center (noon HST). The championship follows with third-ranked Stanford getting "next" with the 'Huskers.

"Big Red" was brutal last night. Nebraska returned six starters from last season's team, which reached the regional final, and supplemented that with five new players. Three played a role in the shellacking.

Transfer Maggie Griffin shared setting with returnee Dani Busboom and the 'Huskers kept three hitters, ranging from 5-foot-11 Jennifer Saleaumua to 6-5 Sarah Pavan, in the front row the entire night.

"The two-setter system we tried tonight went smoother than I thought it would," said NU coach John Cook. "We hit .400 in the first game. We were pretty focused and had a lot of adrenaline going. But that was the first time Hawai'i had seen it so they had no idea. It's a hard system to defend because you've got three hitters coming at you in three different spots every time. We had a lot of single blocks when we were hitting."

The Rainbows, with one swift exception at the end of Game 2, never appeared to know who was coming next. Conversely, the hovering 'Huskers always seemed to know where Hawai'i's hitters were.

"We couldn't put a ball down," said All-America setter Kanoe Kamana'o. "They were up there, two blockers on our hitters and they were so ... they were UP there."

The offensive frustration started with poor passing that had Kamana'o chasing balls with her back to her hitters most of the night, when the Huskers weren't hammering shanks down at her head. She could barely get the ball to Prince in Game 1. Nebraska was so dominant in that game that it missed seven serves and still won going away, hitting .457 against a UH block that barely had a touch.

Nebraska's irresistible force flowed on in Game 2, pulling ahead 14-7 when Saleaumua, a second-team All-American who initially committed to UH, served five straight. Finally, in the midst of Mason's tears, the 'Bows bounced back.

Kari Gregory took over for Juliana Sanders in the middle and brought the block back, along with better serving. And Kamana'o eventually got enough precise passes to involve Prince.

The Rainbow Wahine closed their gap to 24-20 on a nightmarish play that started with a spectacular Kamana'o dig and ended with Nebraska's attacker coming under the net and taking out Mason. The 'Bows put freshman Jessica Keefe in and kept coming, getting within 25-24 on Prince's fifth kill of the game.

They would get within one again, at 27-26, in part because the 5-8 Kamana'o's block began to bother Pavan. But the 'Huskers scored the last three points on a stuff and two UH shanks. Saleaumua pounded game point over Kamana'o's head and began the celebration by pointing at the discouraged setter — again.

The passing problems would persist. Saleaumua made her first hitting error and the Rainbow Wahine took their first lead of the season at 6-5 in the third when Kamana'o and Gregory blocked freshman Jordan Larson. Larson immediately got the serve back on a dink as Nebraska scored the next seven points.

Hawai'i didn't hit .100 in the final two games and couldn't hold the 'Huskers below .400 in the first and third.

"They beat us in every phase of the game," Shoji said. "It was not a match. We were just not ready to play at that level."

With Mason not expected to be healthy enough to play today, Shoji said freshman Jamie Houston will probably start. He's not sure if it will be on the left or right — Susie Boogaard switched back to the left in the last game. Shoji said redshirt freshmen Jessica Keefe and Nickie Thomas will also get an opportunity.

Defending NCAA champion Stanford started quickly, stumbled badly, then held on to beat Penn State, 30-24, 30-24, 28-30, 23-30, 15-10, in the opener. The Cardinal has won its last 16 matches. Cynthia Barboza, an Olympic alternate last year, buried 22 kills in her collegiate debut for Stanford. Penn State hit .175 for the match, and .091 in the fifth game.

NOTES

Penn State plays seventh-ranked USC on Wednesday in the Hawaiian Airlines Classic. The Nittany Lions face Hawai'i again Friday. After tonight, Stanford probably won't play another Top-10 team until its Pac-10 season starts the end of this month.

The Cardinal lost three seniors from last year's championship team. Two were starters, including national player of the year Ogonna Nnamani. The other was defensive specialist Leahi Hall from Maui.

NACWAA stands for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators, which founded this tournament and is now sharing title sponsorship with the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.