From the moment Sascha Heinemann arrived in Manoa he had Sweet 16 thoughts. It didn't faze him that Hawai'i had never finished better than fifth in its conference, let alone reached the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship.

Heinemann was adamant and now, as the Rainbow Warriors prepare for a first-round match Friday against Oklahoma State at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, he is two steps from his dream. They are huge steps, to be sure — over the 20th-ranked Cowboys and then, probably, seventh-ranked UCLA on the Bruin courts.

Any mis-step will be the last for Rainbow seniors Heinemann and Jeff Fitch. But they were a handful of points from the end of their college careers 10 days ago and oceans away four years ago. It is hard not to feel fearless.

"When I came I told the coach I wanted to go to the Sweet 16 and we can do it if we get the right players and work ethic," recalled Heinemann, who came from Germany for a college degree with an emphasis on tennis. "Now we definitely have the team. ... Even guys who didn't believe in us before believe now that we can beat tough schools."

The 'Bows have proved anything is possible at the last two WAC Tournaments, upsetting Fresno State and Boise State both years to win the conference. They now need to prove it on an NCAA stage.

A year ago, they were shut out by 13th-ranked Pepperdine in their NCAA debut. Their top three players (Dennis Lajola, Andreas Weber and Heinemann) were still slugging it out — and in good position — when the Waves clinched their fourth and final point.

Coach John Nelson added freshman Leo Rosenberg, who toured the world with Lajola as a junior, and the 'Bows are back. Rosenberg clinched the WAC title against then-20th-ranked Boise State. Heinemann, who clinched the semifinal win over FSU, has won his last 12. Lajola, ranked 65th nationally, has taken out three No. 1 players from the Pac-10. Lajola, Heinemann and Weber are a combined 34-15.

"I told them, potentially this is one of the best teams I've ever coached, but potential doesn't necessarily mean anything," said Nelson, who took San Diego State to the Sweet 16 in 2000 and won the 1992 NCAA DII championship with UC Davis. "To be very honest, this team has the potential to be one of the best teams in the country because it has a lot of talent. But your mind is your best weapon. If they are content we won the conference, we're done."

Like last year, Hawai'i (10-9) is closing with a rush. It has won five of its last six and soared to 49th in the country, the program's best ranking. But Oklahoma State, which features the nation's second-ranked singles player in Oleksandr Nedovyeso, is as far as the Rainbows can focus now, with one quirky college-tennis exception: The lone doubles point.

To win, a team needs four of the seven points. There are six singles matches. The final — and first — point goes to the team that wins at least two of the three 8-game doubles "matches." Nelson, unhappy with his doubles teams' attitudes, switched them for the WAC Tournament. UH won its first doubles point in six matches against Boise. It was crucial.

"We just need to keep playing well, especially in the doubles point," said Fitch, who will graduate in the fall in communications. "The doubles point is always key. We haven't been able to win it and it is such a different feeling when you do. It's almost a relief because you are not thinking you are forced to win four points then, just three. It puts a little less pressure on you."

Just being back in the NCAA Tournament is less pressure, according to Nelson, who knows first-year NCAA teams have a tendency to lose focus. His team has no excuse to be nervous now, nor do the Cowboys, making their seventh straight NCAA appearance. He particularly believes his seniors are firmly focused.

"Sascha and Jeff have been here and done it," Nelson said. "They kinda lead by example and these two at this point are tuned in. I don't have to be on their court to tell them what they need to do. They do it for themselves, and know if they take care of business they are helping the team.

"Everybody out there is doing their own thing right now. I tell them their world ends at the end of their court."

When his career is over, Heinemann plans to pursue a professional career — always has, just as he has obsessed about reaching the Sweet 16. The man has tunnel vision, along with the ability to dream.

"First we have to beat Oklahoma State," Heinemann said. "It's a good program. It definitely will not be easy, but especially after last week we've shown that we can rise, we can play great tennis — doubles too, that we haven't won for a while. If we get past Oklahoma State, everything is possible."

The 16 subregional winners advance to finals, May 14 to 19, at College Station, Texas.