TAMPA, Fla. — Seeing is believing, but feeling greatness goes far beyond.

The five University of Hawai'i seniors have felt the final-four fire from within since August. That they are here, absolutely prepared to take on top-ranked Penn State today in the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship at the St. Pete Times Forum, feels so right.

Early in the season, fifth-year senior Jayme Lee — Hawai'i's smallest player — was asked if the Rainbow Wahine had the energy to get here.

Could they play to their potential for four months?

Could they deal with the doubts a difficult preseason schedule would provide?

Could they somehow get better through a long Western Athletic Conference season where opponents were worse?

Could they have enough energy at the end of a grueling year to go on the road for the final seven weeks and stand up to teams that were much bigger and played much better conference schedules?

"We definitely have enough energy," the Hawai'i Baptist graduate said way back then. "Our team has enough heart. This team is special. I can tell."

Out of the mouths of 5-foot, 103-pound menehune.

The Rainbow Wahine have had huge contributions from their younger players. Freshman Brittany Hewitt has been a blocking fool. Sophomores Kanani Danielson and Stephanie Ferrell were phenomenal as the 'Bows blitzed the vaunted Big Ten at last weekend's regional. Juniors Liz Ka'aihue and Dani Mafua are playing out of their minds.

But seniors Aneli Cubi-Otineru, Amber Kaufman, Stephanie Brandt, Catherine Fowler and Lee are the 'Bows' sophisticated soul. Without their wisdom and skill, and unique inspirational attributes, four-time national champion Hawai'i would not be playing its first final four since 2003.

"I just can't say enough about them," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "Their leadership, their contributions, their attitudes. I always said seniors indicate what kind of team you're going to have, whether they are starting or not. Three of them (Brandt, Fowler and Lee) don't start, but you never see any attitude from them. You see them inspiring everybody else."

Few others thought they would be here. The Rainbow Wahine were supposedly too small. That No. 3 national ranking the coaches have bestowed on them since Oct. 12 was supposedly inflated.

They were seeded 12th in the national tournament, and made the committee look silly. They have proven people wrong all season. Why not once or twice more this week in balmy Tampa?

'JUST GET BETTER'

The seniors believe, and have convinced their younger teammates to keep the faith as well. Being here is no surprise to the Rainbow Wahine. They set it as a goal in August and found their way here rather easily.

"Everybody thought we were too small," said Cubi-Otineru, the master's student nicknamed "Pork Chop."

"They underestimated us because they thought we were too small and we play in the WAC and don't see top 10 opponents over the year," said Lee, whose frenetic energy soon will be focused solely on medical school.

"Our motto all year was just get better, no matter who we are playing, just get better. I think we did," added Kaufman, one of the country's finest high jumpers. "Saying that we made it to the final four  that's what I've been waiting for."

The seniors bided their time, Lee for five years and Kaufman for four. Cubi-Otineru and Stephanie Brandt came in three years ago, when Brandt's maturity earned her the role as starting setter.

Now that Mafua's special gift for guiding Hawai'i's undersized, ultra-quick attack has blossomed, Brandt has become the super sub. With Cubi-Otineru and Kaufman, she gives the Rainbow Wahine three extremely annoying servers. Her defense is exceptional and her energy imperative.

And, since Brandt got here, the team's finest student has just "got it," always knowing what works best in every situation on the court and in her new home.

She knows that now is "no time to get complacent" and precisely the right time to "just go after it," with a game that can only be described as "Rainbow Wahine volleyball."

Fowler, who transferred from Arkansas last season to challenge herself at the highest level, has seen Hawai'i dig its way to the top. Watching from the bench last week, knowing she could not play because of an ankle injury, gave her a new view.

"I saw a game plan executed at the highest level all year," said Fowler, a free spirit trained in dance and destined to travel the world. "They got better and better, looked really smooth. Everyone looked on point."

There have been vivid clues along the way:

• Early-season sweeps of Stanford and UCLA, which finished 1-2 in the Pac-10. Those victories helped Hawai'i rebound from home losses to Texas, which is also in the final four, and California, which got ousted by Penn State.

• Dominance in the WAC, which fed the current 28-match winning streak.

• Gritting their way past USC, at USC for the second straight year, in a second-round match when the 'Bows hit the wall physically, but were at their tenacious best.

• And, last week, breaking the spirit of two of the six Big Ten teams to qualify for this NCAA Tournament.

"After we won that last game, swept Michigan in three," Brandt recalled, "then it was like, 'Yeah, hell yeah, final four.' "

The seniors have seen it all, and played a huge part. They have enjoyed the journey immensely, and helped Hawai'i enjoy it, too.

"A lot of people don't understand how hard it is to get here," Lee said. "I've been here for five years we've seen our team fall short of where we wanted to be. Getting here is something that's really special."