LAS CRUCES, N.M. — With its volleyball season "hanging in the balance," 11th-ranked Hawai'i came up with its biggest rally of the year last night to overcome New Mexico State, 28-30, 26-30, 30-21, 30-22, 15-10. The 2 1/2-hour drama was played out before a record crowd of 7,115 at Pan American Center.

"Our season was pretty much hanging in the balance here," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "I'm really, really proud of the way the players stepped up and answered the call."

NMSU head coach Mike Jordan watched his team lose out on the biggest win in its history.

"We played hard, we did some good things in the first two games, but you have to give Hawai'i credit, they came back," Jordan said. "We're not into moral victories. We wanted this one bad. I think this match showed we can compete with top teams and we have the ability to compete in the WAC."

The Rainbow Wahine (9-6, 3-0 WAC) got their wakeup call in the form of a huge deficit as they allowed the Aggies (7-4, 1-3) to take the first two games away. During the break before Game 3, Shoji challenged his seniors to start leading their team.

Hawai'i fell into a 2-5 hole then worked its way back to winning a five-game match for the first time this season, after two losses. A year ago, UH won six five-game matches.

"I think this win was much bigger than anything last year," Shoji said. "Then, we were on a roll and had built up a record. Tonight, I was having flashes of us having to win the WAC Tournament to make the NCAAs if we don't win this match. So I thought it was huge."

The Rainbows' 109th consecutive win over a WAC opponent came before a loud crowd that had seen its team lose just once at home the past four years.

The turnaround started with a blocking adjustment that took away the Aggies' cross-court shots. They hit just .046 in the final three games, down 200 points from the first two, when Alice Borden, Kim Oguh and Amber Simpson battered the UH block.

"We carried out our assignments perfectly in the first two games," said NMSU setter Jackie Choi. "We felt we could compete athletically with Hawai'i but we had to make those extra plays and execute and we did in the first two games. We really felt the crowd's energy early on and we had the momentum."

In contrast, the 'Bows were simply bad.

"At first New Mexico State was fired up," Shoji said. "They came out very, very hot and the crowd was behind them. It was a good atmosphere for them. Our outside hitters got off to a slow start, they were hitting negative, not passing the ball well. Nothing was going right and we were still in both games. We had chances. We have to give them credit — their hitters were on and we had trouble stopping them."

The momentum swung for good with the third game tied at 17. Hawai'i scored 13 of the final 17 points and rolled straight through the fourth game. The Aggies led early in the final game, but Sarah Mason delivered a kill and ace to put Hawai'i up for good at 5-4.

"We needed her offense," Shoji said of Mason. "She helped spark us."

Mason, who did not start, had five kills and a stuff in the decisive game and led UH with 19 kills and .378 hitting.

"We stayed patient and didn't panic," Mason said. "We weren't very sharp early on and New Mexico State was very strong and played hard. We have a lot of pride and we didn't want the winning streak in league play to end."

The Rainbow Wahine finished with 18 stuffs — 12 in the last three games — with Victoria Prince getting the match's most demanding double-double (13 kills, 10 blocks). Hitters Susie Boogaard (12 kills, 10 digs) and Tara Hittle (11 kills, 11 digs) also had double-doubles and, according to Shoji, turned their games and the match around.

"I thought Susie and Hittle were having poor matches and they both turned it around," he said. "They took over the passing and we passed really well in Games 3, 4 and 5.

"Victoria only had six kills after the second game, but she was also a force at the end. It was a complete team win."

Hawai'i is back home for WAC matches Friday against Fresno State and Saturday against Nevada, which took the 'Bows to five games twice last season.