Fifth-ranked Penn State interrupted Hawai'i's massive volleyball makeover last night, rallying to win the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Classic.

The fourth-ranked Rainbow Wahine, swept by the Nittany Lions last week, tormented them for two games in a remarkable transformation before 6,139 at Stan Sheriff Center. Then Penn State realized what hit it, and hit back — harder — to win 22-30, 17-30, 30-27, 30-18, 15-11.

The transformation was not complete. It was the first time since the 1998 NCAA regional loss to Florida that the 'Bows had been up two games and let it get away.

"We didn't close the match," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We didn't close games in Omaha (last week) and tonight we didn't close the match. We all have got to look at what we're doing and figure out why we can't close. I know I need to coach my team better.

"All the skills were working in the first two games and then they just went out the window. I'm not sure why that is. We're either not disciplined enough or not tough enough. A lot had to do with Penn State playing better."

Added UH co-captain Kanoe Kamana'o: "The first two games we really got into a rhythm. Then in the third game we kind of stepped back and we weren't taking advantage of what we had done the first two games."

What could have been an astonishing turnaround disintegrated into utter frustration. Penn State, far from home, was far from out of it in a gritty display of tenacity. A week earlier it had rallied against third-ranked Stanford in much the same way, only to lose the fifth game.

"We were not going to play our way back and go out and lose the fifth game," said Sam Tortorello, Penn State's All-American setter. "I think everyone had that (Stanford) in the back of their head. We didn't want to lose two big five-game matches on the road."

The loss ended Hawai'i's NCAA-best 39-match home winning streak. The Nittany Lions also ended the 'Bows' bold bid to turn around last week's ugly loss in the space of a week with yet another improvised lineup.

Alicia Arnott, suffering from "flu-like symptoms," couldn't make it through warmups. UH replaced her with backup setter Cayley Thurlby, and Susie Boogaard yo-yo'd back to the left side with freshman Jamie Houston. The freshman started on fire and finished with a team-high 23 kills, but 19 came in the first three games.

"I really didn't think she could keep up the pace," Shoji said. "She was hitting 45 percent after Game 2, and there was no way she was going to continue that. So I knew that that position we were getting more than we ever expected. Then it came back to earth."

Penn State put Houston's fire out the final two games and also silenced Hawai'i's middle attack. All-American Victoria Prince was 7 for 12 without an error the first two games; her .583 hitting percentage shrank to .258 by the end.

Still, the Rainbows (1-3) had chances in Game 5. A year ago, they made their season with six five-game victories. Last night, they fell behind 4-2 and could never catch up.

The teams sided out to 12-11. After UH's first timeout, Houston got blocked and Kate Price — one of five Penn State's hitters 6-foot-2 or taller, slashed her 11th kill.

After UH's final timeout, she drilled her 12th. Nicole Fawcett, a 6-4 freshman, led the Nittany Lions (4-1) with 26 kills — five in the final game.

In the opener, seventh-ranked Southern California defeated Western Michigan, 30-20, 30-26, 30-15.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.