This is the volleyball match New Mexico State has waited 11 long months for. The 25th-ranked Aggies, who host 11th-ranked Hawai'i tonight, lost to the Rainbow Wahine twice last year. Each defeat came in five excruciating games.

The 'Bows' wait for a meaningful match against a ranked team has been but a month. But they have waited nearly eight years to play a ranked Western Athletic Conference opponent.

For one of the rare times in the WAC season, UH (13-4, 7-0 WAC) actually is more worried about the other side of the court than its own. And that's saying a lot for a team that might have lost its third starter (Jessica Keefe) to injury on the last point of Wednesday's sweep at Louisiana Tech.

NMSU (20-1, 4-1) would be hard to ignore anyway.

"They seem to have an animosity toward everybody that they play," Nevada coach Devin Scruggs said of the Aggies. "It's going to be an interesting match."

UH coach Dave Shoji characterizes that "animosity" as a "healthy attitude" and would like his team to also develop a "swagger" just short of "obnoxious."

"You want them to have some kind of attitude about being good and having confidence," Shoji said. "That's what it's all about. It would be good for our conference nationally if New Mexico State has some kind of swagger and wins a couple matches in the NCAA tournament. I'd love to see that."

NMSU, which had to win its first 15 this year to earn its first-ever ranking, was looking to prove itself even before last year's five-game disappointments and the NCAA's refusal to invite it to the postseason party.

The Aggies just clinched their fifth straight 20-win season and are 125-23 the past four-plus seasons. They have all but one starter back from last year. Setter Jackie Choi, hitter Alice Borden and middles Kim Oguh and Amber Simpson were preseason all-WAC picks.

Only Hawai'i, with five, had more. Not surprisingly, the teams are 1-2 in four of the six major WAC statistics.

Nationally, New Mexico State ranks fourth in hitting, at .301, with Simpson 11th individually at .428. Borden is averaging nearly four kills a game, with the middles are at three each.

The Rainbows come into their fifth match in eight days ranked 10th in assists and 21st in blocks. Sophomore Jamie Houston, who has sizzled since sitting out the WAC opener for disciplinary reasons, is sixth in kills at 5.48 per game. The reigning national player of the week is averaging six-plus kills in conference.

"If we pass well I think we'll be hard to beat," Shoji said. "Jamie is playing extremely well and so is Sarah (Mason) so I like our chances."

The Aggies fell in five at Nevada two weeks ago. They are 0-18 against Hawai'i, which only gives them motivation — as if the 'Bows' 132-match winning streak against WAC opponents wasn't enough. They are experienced and desperate to finish what they started last year when they won the first two games in Las Cruces and Games 3 and 4 in Honolulu.

"When we were down 0-2 at Hawai'i, I said 'Sometimes you've got to draw a line in the sand and say I'm going here today, I'm taking the next step,'" NMSU coach Mike Jordan recalled. "We can't be satisfied playing the game well and staying close. There will come a time when these guys will get beat and who is more prepared than us?"

Shoji plans to start freshman Amber Kaufman on the right side for Keefe, who was listed as "doubtful" after injuring her left knee Wednesday.

"Amber is ready to contribute," Shoji said. "She's played several matches now. I think she'll be fine over there. Athletically, she can play with anybody. It's just game experience she lacks."

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