Success, it seems, often is about making the right connections.

It was that way for the Hawai'i men's volleyball team in a 30-23, 30-19, 30-23 rout of New Jersey Institute of Technology last night in the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Warriors (6-13) completed the two-match sweep, finishing with an average margin of victory of nine points per set.

Do the math, and the key variable is setter Nejc Zemljak. The Warriors entered the series hitting .230 in their first 17 matches. They hit .330 last night, and .350 for the series.

"Nejc is coming along as a setter," said left-side hitter Josh Walker, who slammed 10 kills in two sets.

Zemljak, who has started the past eight matches, was thrust into the lineup when senior Sean Carney decided to abdicate the setter's job three weeks ago. The outside hitters were struggling with their passing, and with freshman Steven Hunt sidelined with a fractured right hand, Carney volunteered to change positions.

"It's what the team needed at the time," Carney said. "That's why I talked to coach (Mike Wilton). It was tough to give up my position my senior year. At the same time, it wasn't tough at all knowing that's what would give us the best shot to win. Nejc stepped in there. He was put in a tough role. He had to come in and start, and try to connect with the hitters. He's done a good job."

With Wilton's tutoring, Zemljak improved his block comprehension. He had five block assists last night.

He benefitted from a new defensive tweak, in which he aligned deeper when NJIT served, to protect against tips. The move enabled him to attack off passes. He had six kills on second-touch swings last night.

Most of all, Zemljak has developed an easy connection with Walker, Carney and opposite attacker Brennon Dyer, who also buried 10 kills.

In particular, Zemljak has opened up the pipeline, with pipe sets to the middle of the back row. In volleyball parlance, such sets are known as "bics" — shorthand for backrow-quick sets.

Zemljak has customized the bics for Walker and Carney.

Walker prefers high sets, which he attacks off a four-step approach.

"I run it right when (the bic set) is high," Walker said. "It's more of my speed that affects the hit. If I come in with a lot of momentum, I'll hit it better. It'll speed up everything."

Carney prefers a medium-height set.

"I'm feeling more confident," Carney said. "And every day Nejc is getting more confidence in me."

Zemljak said: "Sean has a really nice arm. Even if it's a trouble set, he can get a good hit off the block. It's nice to have that connection."

Zemljak and Carney have both adjusted to their roles.

"We're not seeing each other as two setters," Zemljak said. "We're seeing each other as a setter and an outside hitter. We're finding our connection. ... We all know Sean is a good all-around athlete. He plays beach (volleyball), so we knew he could play outside. He has all of the skills."

And last night, Zemljak had a full menu of options. Carney and Walker were weapons from the front corners and out of the back row. Dyer was a threat from the front right and back right. And the Highlanders had to thin their block because UH middles Steven Grgas and Jarrod Lofy were nearly unstoppable hitting quick sets.

The short-handed Highlanders could not respond. Their top two liberos broke team rules and were sent home during the California leg of this cross-country trip. They suited up nine players. That number was reduced when their best attacker, Amobi Armstrong, aggravated an ankle injury during the second set. He played sporadically — and ineffectively — after that, finishing with five kills.

The Warriors, meanwhile, rested ailing All-America libero Ric Cervantes (sore shoulder) and middle blocker Matt "Dragon" Rawson (subluxed left shoulder). They played 11 players, including using libero Michael China as an outside hitter in the final set.