It is November and the end of the conference volleyball season is in sight. Ninth-ranked Hawai'i is looking beyond that going into tonight's WAC match against Idaho — but not too far beyond.

The Rainbow Wahine (17-6, 11-0 WAC) have not lost to a WAC team in more than seven years. They have not lost a game in more than a month, since New Mexico State took the first two in Las Cruces on Oct. 1.

What they are working on now is the execution they will need in the postseason. Mistakes must be eliminated, aggression accentuated and progress can be the only direction tolerated.

In other words, cruise control isn't good enough against WAC opposition.

"We had a discussion awhile ago," senior Victoria Prince said. "(Coach) Charlie (Wade) wrote at the bottom of the scouting report, 'Are you playing with postseason passion?' We've been thinking about it since then. We need to be doing things now that will help us beat teams like Washington and Nebraska."

Hawai'i has four regular-season matches left after tonight — at Utah State and San Jose State next week, then at home against New Mexico State (Nov. 17) and Louisiana Tech (Nov. 18).

Two wins will clinch a share of the 'Bows' 10th consecutive WAC regular-season title. The WAC Tournament starts Thanksgiving Day in Reno, with the winner receiving a slot in the NCAA Tournament.

There is no time to waste. Coach Dave Shoji has a starting lineup finally, but can substitute so liberally it's tough to tell. His most compelling worry now is his team's hitting percentage. The team has added a few wrinkles this week to give his outside hitters more options.

"The name of the game nowadays is score, to hit for a high percentage," Shoji said. "That's where we were lacking earlier in year. Our block is going to be OK. It's not a strong point, but it's pretty good. We just need to attack the ball better."

The Rainbow Wahine did that in Moscow three weeks ago, outhitting the Vandals .322 to .097 in a sweep. Idaho won three of its next four before falling in five at Utah State on Wednesday.

Freshman Sarah Loney, barely averaging over a block and a kill a game until recently, is the reigning WAC Player of the Week. She had more than four kills and nearly 2 1/2 blocks a game last week, and hit .522 in a win over NMSU.

She is the only Idaho hitter over .250. The Vandals are balanced offensively, but hitting just .199, which has kept them in the crowded midsection of conference standings.

They are also making their first appearance at Stan Sheriff since moving over from the Big West this season. Idaho lost to Hawai'i in an NCAA sub-regional here two years ago.

"A lot of teams fire up and play really well against us here," Shoji said. "Others wilt at the sight of 7,000 people. I don't know what their makeup is, but I imagine they'll be pretty excited to play here for the first time."

Hawai'i will have to match that while it tweaks its game for the postseason.

"The hardest thing is to make sure we play to our level and never play down," Prince said. "You can never underestimate the other team because all it takes is three players on the other side to play the best match of their lives and us to not play good. Then, we lose. We have to always be on top of it."

NOTES

Tickets are on sale for the WAC Tournament, Nov. 24 to 26 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno. An all-session pass is $34 for adults and $19 for seniors, children or students. Single-session tickets are $10 and $6. They are available by calling (800) 225-2277 or online at tickets.com. A discounted room rate is available at Circus Circus by calling (800) 894-3588 and mentioning the tournament. The Saturday championship match has been moved to 5 p.m. so College Sports Television (CSTV) can again broadcast it live.

The Rainbow Wahine went over 100,000 in attendance on their last homestand. They have surpassed that milestone every year since moving into the Stan Sheriff Center full time in 1995. Hawai'i has also led the country in attendance each of those years. It is averaging 7,212 fans per match this season. New Mexico State is fifth, at 2,428.

Junior Kanoe Kamana'o, UH's All-American setter, is now second on the career assist list. She passed All-American Cheri Boyer and Olympian Robyn Ah Mow on the last trip. With 4,346 assists, Kamana'o is 271 behind Martina Cincerova. Kamana'o is now seventh nationally, averaging 13.9 assists per game.

After hovering below .400 for about a month, UH senior Victoria Prince is again hitting over .400 (.408). She hit .537 last week, with nearly five kills and 2.6 blocks a game.