EUGENE, Ore. >> Not long after getting into town Tuesday, the Hawaii women’s volleyball team returned to where its season ended a year ago.

For the eight returnees from last year’s team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to host Oregon, stepping into Matthew Knight Arena brought a wide array of emotions.

“It looks the same,” sophomore hitter Tali Hakas said. “I can totally feel the disappointment from last year, and so coming here we have that revenge mindset kind of.”

Hawaii has played in the past 31 NCAA Tournaments and last advanced to a regional semifinal in 2019, when it lost to Nebraska in Madison, Wis.

The NCAA Tournament selection committee didn’t do Hawaii any favors, putting it in the only subregional with two teams in the top 18 in the RPI rankings.

However, the time time for bracket complaints has come and gone.

Hawaii coach Robyn Ah Mow is 4-6 coaching in NCAA Tournament games and 4-4 in her last eight after starting out with back-to-back five-set losses in her first two seasons.

The Rainbow Wahine (21-9) open with No. 5 seed TCU (21-7) at 2 p.m. today.

The Horned Frogs, who actually have a better RPI than host Oregon, feature senior outside hitter Melanie Parra, who is fifth in the nation averaging 5.06 kills per set.

The third-team AVCA All-American as a junior is one of 14 players announced in mid-November as semifinalists for the AVCA National Player of the Year award.

Hawaii junior outside hitter Caylen Alexander, who ranks third in the nation averaging 5.15 kills per set and is tops in the country with 602 total kills, didn’t make the list of 14 despite being named the Big West Player of the Year.

“(Parra) is kind of like Caylen. Got that arm where it’s just like, set her again, set her again,” Ah Mow said. “We did a lot of preparation within the last three days for her.”

Ah Mow has used three consecutive days of practices to prepare for TCU’s best player by setting assistant coach Nick Castello, who played the role of Parra, over and over while rarely setting the middles or the right side.

“Today (the team) felt like there is a lot going on, and I was like, ‘No, there is not a lot going on,’ “ Ah Mow said. “I literally set the middles five times together, I set Coach Nick 100 times, Coach Kaleo (Baxter) like 10 and the right side two. Just getting them ready to not feel overwhelmed. She is going to get, I would say, 80% of their balls. That’s their team — 80% of the balls.”

The Horned Frogs ended the season with four straight wins in a Big 12 Conference that doesn’t play a conference tournament.

Their 21-7 mark included a 14-1 record at home but just 7-6 in road or neutral site games.

Hawaii played the Horned Frogs in a nonconference tournament last season in Fort Worth, Texas, losing in four sets.

Alexander recorded the first 20-kill match of her career in the loss. This season, she has reached the mark in 15 of Hawaii’s 30 matches.

TCU is the fifth team Hawaii will play this season from Texas. UH beat No. 2 seed SMU in the season opener in five sets and then won twice against Texas State, which won the Sun Belt Conference and opens against No. 7 seed Missouri in the SMU region.

Hawaii then lost road matches in four sets in September at Texas, a No. 3 seed, and Baylor, a No. 4 seed.

“I feel like the girls are ready,” Ah Mow said. “As coaches I think we’re going to keep pushing them. I told them in the locker room. I told them in video today. We need everybody locked. We need everybody together. If we’re going to keep going, we’re going to have to be one.”

Hakas, who started four straight games at outside hitter before moving back to right side in the Big West title match against Cal Poly, has grown accustomed to playing both sides.

She has recorded nine or more kills in seven of her past eight matches and his hit .318 or better four times. Hawaii is 10-3 when Hakas records 10-plus kills and won the last five in a row.

Defensively, she’s finished in double figures in digs in nine straight matches, including 19 against the Mustangs.

“I am more comfortable on the left, but lately I have had more reps on the right,” Hakas said. “I think it just comes to I know what I have to do and just be confident. The moment I feel free I know I am going to do good.”

NCAA WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

First round

Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene,Ore.

First round

Today

Hawaii (21-9) vs. No. 5 seed TCU (21-7), 2 p.m.

No. 4 seed Oregon (22-7) vs. High Point (23-6), 4:30 p.m.

Second round

Friday

UH/TCU winner vs. UO/HPU winner, 4 p.m.

Stream: ESPN+

Radio: KKEA 1420 AM / 92.7 FM (Hawaii matches only)