It might sound like a small step, and a huge foot could be poised to mash them if they make it, but this week the Rainbow Wahine have a legitimate shot at reaching the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tennis Championships for the first time in history.

The University of Hawai'i will host the championships today through Sunday. The women start today (the men tomorrow), with fourth-seeded Hawai'i taking on fifth-seeded New Mexico State at 3 p.m. The Rainbow Wahine shut out the Aggies Saturday.

If the 'Bows are successful again against NMSU, top-seeded Fresno State will probably be waiting in tomorrow's 3 p.m. semifinal. The Bulldogs are ranked 16th and beat the 'Bows, 6-1, Friday in New Mexico. UH freshman Alyssa Nafarrete was the only Hawai'i player to take a match.

"Everything is possible," said UH coach Jun Hernandez. "If I didn't think we had a chance to win we might as well not play. That's what my players are thinking, too. If not, they might as well just go to class. ... They all want to win the WAC.

"We just need to be disciplined mentally and physically first of all, and then have fun competing."

Hernandez is encouraging a "no fear" outlook and the 'Bows will need it, particularly if they find themselves playing Fresno. FSU features the country's top-ranked doubles team, in Anastasia Petukhova and Renata Kucerkova. Those two are also ranked 25th and 66th in singles, with senior teammate Melania Gloria at No. 16 in the ITA rankings.

The Rainbow Wahine are 5-16 in this tournament since joining the WAC in 1997. Their last win came in 2006 — Hernandez's first season — when they beat Louisiana Tech in the first round.

Hawai'i (12-12) has won four of its last six and been bolstered by the addition of Ellen Linsenbolz, a freshman from Germany who became eligible March 25. She has played No. 1 in nine of her 11 matches and while she has lost more than she has won, her presence has enhanced those around her.

Sophie Kobuch, who played No. 1 last year and early this season, has gone 7-2 since moving to No. 2. The junior from France was an all-WAC first-team selection last year and ranked 91st nationally.