AUSTIN, Texas — This year it's cowboy hats. Last year it was frozen-solid Fort Collins, Colo. If this is the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, Hawai'i must be far from home and anything resembling normal. Yet, what the Rainbow Wahine seek most desperately on the road is normalcy.

They do everything possible to keep their time on the road similar to their time at home. They even insist they study better and focus more clearly away from the distractions of Hawai'i.

The NCAA has given them plenty of opportunities to find out. Texas is just the latest in a long line of frequent-flier miles.

Texas State (17-14) is seventh-seeded Hawai'i's first challenge, tonight in the first round. It is a school no 'Bow knows much about, beyond the realization that it is playing its best volleyball of the year — "There's not a doubt in my mind," 26th-year coach Karen Chisum said.

Chisum tried to recruit UH sophomore Raeceen Woolford from Iolani to San Marcos. The Bobcats wanted the 5-foot-7 Woolford to hit and tried to convince her aquatic biology was the same as marine biology. She bit on their offer to visit.

"I would have been the only person in a student body of 35,000 from Hawai'i," Woolford said. "I felt a little out of my element."

Just as the Rainbows do here, with the exception of freshman Nickie Thomas, who grew up in Austin. Between Texas State and Texas she knows one player — Longhorn setter Michelle Moriarty. But Thomas does know Texas volleyball.

"It's a little more cut and dried," Thomas said. "It's pass-set-kill, where in Hawai'i we get rallies going a little more. Here, it's you kill the ball and get the serve and they kill the ball and get the serve. The defense is not that great."

So the 'Bows study out of more than books on the road, and cram for much more than the pile of finals that await. They also watch film of Texas State, put into practice what they learn and try their best to stay healthy in the midst of mad travel and vast temperature changes that leave them susceptible to illness.

"We're too used to it to let it bother us," said senior Victoria Prince, who was weakened with "flu-like symptoms" last postseason. "We're national travelers."

"All we can control is the amount of sleep we get, what we're eating, and trying to stay warm. Just try to be as healthy as we can be," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "We need to stick to our routine. Whatever happens, happens. You can't prevent colds or flus or viruses. And when you're in planes and hotel rooms and walking around a casino you're exposed to a lot of people. There's nothing you can do about it."

After 30 years, Shoji believes that — beyond talent — the secret to postseason success is to keep the ambience surrounding his team as "normal" as possible. He doesn't want players spending too much time in hotel rooms or worrying about how critical each match is from now on.

"You definitely have to play loose, be relaxed," Shoji said. "Obviously you have to focus, but you can't be tight. You can't be paralyzed by the game plan, paralyzed by the actual play. You have to loosen up and play it like it's a normal game. You can't think about consequences or how good the opponent is. You just have to play."

Even though the next loss will be your last, and as desperately as you are seeking normalcy, you are also seeking that elusive fifth national championship.

It is a strange combination.

Following the Hawai'i-Texas State match at Gregory Gym, Texas (23-4) will take on LSU (21-7). Tonight's winners play tomorrow for the right to advance to the Penn State Regional next weekend.

The Longhorns bolted up four spots in the Coaches Poll this week, after upsetting previously unbeaten No. 1 Nebraska. They share No. 7 with Hawai'i, but did not receive one of the 16 seeds given by the NCAA Committee.

UT hasn't been ranked this high since 1999. After Mick Haley left to coach the Olympic team, the program plummeted to a 10-18 record in 2000. Now, with the nation's tallest team (the 'Horns average 6-1 1/2), they are seriously chasing their second NCAA title.

The 'Horns are 1-9 against UH, but that win came in the 1988 national championship. They are led by all-Big 12 middles Brandy Magee and Leticia Armstrong, and Michelle Moriarty.

LSU has three all-Southeastern Conference players — Ivana Kuzmic and Marina Skender from Croatia, and Jelena Mijatovic from Serbia. Kuzmic and Mijatovic both have more than 1,000 career kills and have lifted the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament since 1992. LSU went to the final four in 1990 and '91.

LSU played its first 17 matches away from home this year. Renovations were being made to Pete Maravich Assembly Center, and then it was used as a medical triage area for Hurricane Katrina victims. Hurricane Rita moved the scheduled home openers to Arkansas.

The Tigers were 13-4 to open the season, and have traveled more than 14,000 miles this year. They carry a "Hurricane Evacuation Route" sign with them to practices and matches.

NOTES

KFVE and Sports Radio (1420 AM) will broadcast Hawai'i matches live. The Rainbow Wahine play at 1 p.m. HST today and, if they win, 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.

STATE COLLEGE, PA. REGIONAL

Today (All times Hawai'i)

First Round

At Austin, Texas

Hawai'i (25-6) vs. Texas State (17-14), 1p.m.

Texas (23-4) vs. LSU (21-7), 3 p.m.

At Columbia, Mo.

Arkansas (20-11) vs. St. Mary’s, Calif. (19-9), 1:30 p.m.

Missouri State (24-8) vs. Missouri (22-4), 3:30 p.m.

At Knoxville, Tenn.

Minnesota (24-7) vs. Winthrop (28-5), 12:30 p.m.

Jacksonville State (19-10) vs. Tennessee (21-8), 2:30 p.m.

At State College, Pa.

Cornell (19-5) vs. Long Island U. (25-13), Noon.

Binghamton (20-11) vs. Penn State (29-2), 2:30 p.m.

Tomorrow

Second Round

At Austin, Texas

Hawai'i-Texas State winner vs. Texas-LSU winner, 2:30 p.m.

At Columbia, Mo.

Arkansas-St. Mary’s, Calif. winner vs. Missouri State-Missouri winner, 1:30 p.m.

At Knoxville, Tenn.

Minnesota-Winthrop winner vs. Jacksonville State-Tennessee winner, 12:30 p.m.

At State College, Pa.

Cornell-Long Island U. winner vs. Binghamton-Penn State winner, 2 p.m.

OMAHA, NEB. REGIONAL

Yesterday

First Round

At Gainesville, Fla.

Kansas State def. Florida A&M, 27-30, 30-14, 30-27, 30-28

Florida def. Florida Atlantic, 30-19, 30-15, 30-14

Today

Second Round

At Gainesville, Fla.

Kansas State (21-10) vs. Florida (31-2), 2 p.m.

First Round

At Lincoln, Neb.

American (25-9) vs. Duke (23-7), 1 p.m.

Nebraska (28-1) vs. Alabama A&M (15-11), 3 p.m.

At Los Angeles

Long Beach State (25-6) vs. San Diego (22-5), 3:30 p.m.

UCLA (18-10) vs. Kansas (15-14), 6 p.m.

At Louisville, Ky.

Kentucky (17-11) vs. Maryland (27-4), Noon

Louisville (29-2) vs. Western Kentucky (31-2), 2:30 p.m.

Tomorrow

Second Round

At Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska-Alabama A&M winner vs. American-Duke winner, 3 p.m.

At Los Angeles

UCLA-Kansas winner vs. Long Beach State-San Diego winner, 5 p.m.

At Louisville, Ky.

Louisville-W. Kentucky winner vs. Kentucky-Maryland winner, 2 p.m.

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS REGIONAL

Yesterday

First Round

At Notre Dame, Ind.

Northwestern def. Texas A&M, 30-26, 20-30, 28-30, 30-27, 15-12

Notre Dame def. Dayton, 30-21, 30-25, 26-30, 28-30, 15-13

Today

Second Round

At Notre Dame, Ind.

Northwestern (20-11) vs. Notre Dame (29-3), 7 p.m.

First Round

At Fort Collins, Colo.

Washington (26-1) vs. Siena (20-11), 2 p.m.

Colorado (15-12) vs. Colorado State (20-8), 4 p.m.

At Chapel Hill, N.C.

Purdue (23-8) vs. Virginia Commonwealth (22-11), Noon.

College of Charleston (30-1) vs. North Carolina (23-9), 2 p.m.

At Madison, Wis

Valparaiso (27-7) vs. California (18-10), Noon.

Wisconsin (23-6) vs. Loyola of Chicago (13-17), 2 p.m.

Tomorrow

Second Round

At Fort Collins, Colo.

Washington-Siena winner vs. Colorado-Colorado State winner, 2 p.m.

At Chapel Hill, N.C.

Purdue-VCU winner vs. Charleston-North Carolina winner, 1 p.m.

At Madison, Wis

Wisconsin-Loyola of Chicago winner vs. Valparaiso-California winner, 2 p.m.

PALO ALTO, CALIF. REGIONAL

Today

First Round

At Palo Alto, Calif.

Santa Clara (23-4) vs. Sacramento State (26-8), 3 p.m.

Stanford (25-5) vs. Nevada (18-12), 5 p.m.

At Los Angeles

Pepperdine (17-11) vs. Brigham Young (25-3), 3 p.m.

UC Santa Barbara (21-8) vs. Southern California (16-10), 5 p.m.

At Columbus, Ohio

Ohio (31-2) vs. Alabama (23-10), 5 p.m.

Ohio State (21-8) vs. Marshall (26-5), 2:30 p.m.

At Salt Lake City

Utah State (21-12) vs. Arizona (22-5), 3 p.m.

Utah (22-8) vs. Loyola Marymount (19-10), 5 p.m.

Tomorrow

Second Round

At Palo Alto, Calif.

Stanford-Nevada winner vs. Santa Clara-Sacramento State winner, 5 p.m.

At Los Angeles

Pepperdine-Brigham Young winner vs. UC Santa Barbara-Southern California winner, 4 p.m.

At Columbus, Ohio

Ohio State-Marshall winner vs. Ohio-Alabama winner, 2 p.m.

At Salt Lake City

Utah-Loyola Marymount winner vs. Utah State-Arizona winner, 4 p.m.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.