The thunderstorm on Monday washed out the first fall practice for the Hawaii beach volleyball team. But the Rainbow Wahine looked at the rain as a blessing and the lightning as a portend of what their season might bring:

Flashes of brilliance that will lead to an NCAA championship.

The SandBows want to improve on their 29-7 record and third-place finish from last May and, given the parity that the national scene appears to have, it’s a very realistic and reachable goal. There’s been the feeling, almost since the last ball dropped in the national semifinal against Pepperdine on May 7 at Gulf Shores, Ala., that 2018 would be “the year.”

“There’s a couple reasons,” said Jeff Hall, elevated to full-time beach coach after three seasons splitting time as the associate head indoor coach. “We’re the deepest we’ve ever been. We’re the most experienced we’ve ever been. And the field is much more open.

“USC for the last couple of years has had such talent that you were really playing for second place. They’ve graduated five seniors and have come back to the field, become more human if you will. I think it’s still going to be the same top five programs — UCLA, SC, Pepperdine, us and Florida State — but I think any one of us could have a great weekend and win it all.”

Hawaii returns eight beach-only veterans, three redshirt freshmen and a redshirt sophomore, seven true freshmen and graduate student Allyssah Fitterer, an All-Big Ten middle who played four years indoor for Michigan State. The SandBows also expect to have at least four crossover players from the Rainbow Wahine indoor team, including beach All-American Emily Maglio.

Hawaii’s fall season includes Saturday morning’s practice at Makaha Beach, scrimmages Nov. 18-19 at Queen’s Beach in conjunction with the Hawaii high school state championship, and the Green-White Scrimmage Dec. 2 at the Ching Complex courts. The SandBows also have been doing several community outreach and service projects including a recent taro planting at the campus lo’i (taro wetlands).

“We usually do the lo’i every other year,” fifth-year senior Hannah Zalopany said. “For me, it’s about more than giving back. It gives me the opportunity to give back to my roots, to the Hawaiian culture.

“It’s really cool that we can share that with the girls from the mainland. It gives them a new-found respect for the Hawaiian culture, what makes Hawaii Hawaii.”

Zalopany, who said she is a quarter-Hawaiian, also feels that this coming season was going to be successful. The immediate goal is to three-peat as Big West champions.

“Every year our team collectively has gotten deeper in talent,” she said. “The playing field looks more even. What’s exciting this year is we know what we are more than capable of competing at the end and coming home with a national championship.”