This week's sneak peek at next fall's Rainbow Wahine volleyball team will look radically different from the Hawai'i team that finished 2007 by getting upset in the NCAA's second round.

UH coach Dave Shoji is shifting Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year Jamie Houston from left-side hitter to right for tonight's matches against Cal State Northridge and Nittaidai, and Friday's against CSUN and St. Mary's. He calls it an experiment designed to make it easier for her to hit out of the back row.

Setters Stephanie Brandt and Dani Mafua will probably see almost equal time.

Amber Kaufman, plugged in on the right as a freshman when injuries devastated the 'Bows, is now the most familiar face in the middle. With Juliana Sanders and Kari Gregory gone, freshman Amanda Simmons will get her shot. So will Catherine Fowler, who transferred in from Arkansas and is enrolled this semester.

Shoji expects to start red-shirt freshman Stephanie Ferrell and Aneli Cubi-Otineru on the left. Tara Hittle probably won't play this week after finishing her first collegiate basketball season last week. Hittle played 13 games, started nine and was the 'Bows' second-leading rebounder.

The team has been together for a week of spring practice, with players working individually with coaches before that.

"Some days are good, some days are not so good," Shoji said. "I'm encouraged by the play of our younger players, especially Ferrell and Simmons. I think our setting has improved. They've had a year of experience and both of them will just be better."

The Rainbow Wahine officially open the 2008 season against defending NCAA champion Penn State, Aug. 29.

NOTES

The Oct. 11 match with New Mexico State has "unofficially" moved to Oct. 12, and the Oct. 25 Fresno State match to Oct. 26. UH has not announced what will happen to the WAC Tournament it is hosting. Original dates were Nov. 21 to 23. That now conflicts with the Nov. 22 home football game against Idaho.

Northridge was 13-18 last season.

St. Mary's finished 15-13 with 'Iolani graduates Megan Burton and Kapua Kamana'o as starters.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.