At the start of yesterday's University of Hawai'i volleyball practice, head coach Mike Wilton summoned his players to the white board, where the word "urgency" was written in red ink.

Then, in a symbolic move, Wilton wiped away the word.

It is Wilton's wish the urgency will be erased when the Warriors host Southern California tonight and Friday night in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation matches. Each is 2-6 in the MPSF and fighting for a berth in the league's eight-team postseason tournament.

"My concern right now is getting a little better every day," said Wilton, whose team has lost six in a row. "That's it. That's my focus. If we do, the rest will take care of itself. If somebody is feeling a sense of urgency about something, he's wasting time, actually. He's worrying about something that hasn't happened yet — and probably will happen, if that's what you're focused on."

Opposite attacker Jim Clar added: "What are we going to gain from panicking? I don't see how, if we panic and we get worried, we'll get any better. We just have to do our best. We need to win."

UH's best overall player, left-side hitter Lauri Hakala, will not be available as an attacker because of an abdominal strain. But Wilton said Hakala will be one of 13 players on tonight's active roster and, in an emergency, could be used as a back-row specialist.

That leaves Jake Schkud, Mark Ribeiro, Matt Vanzant and Ernie Vidinha to compete for two left-side positions. Schkud and Ribeiro started last Friday's match, and are expected to be in tonight's opening rotation.

It is a gritty ascent for Ribeiro, a third-year sophomore who was sent to the "third court" — occupied mostly by redshirts and newcomers — to practice after injury and inconsistency bumped him from the active roster.

"To put me with a new group down there was kind of tough, to be honest," said Ribeiro, who was raised on the East Coast.

Ribeiro, who redshirted last season and played in exhibition matches last month, is not even profiled in this year's media guide.

The third-court players spend most of each practice serving and passing — the least artful of Ribeiro's skills. But his improved passing caught Wilton's attention.

"Coach came to me right before practice (last week) and said, 'Lauri's down, and you're starting,' " Ribeiro recalled.

Ribeiro had a two aces and a team-high 16 kills last Friday.

Ribeiro said the competition in the East did not prepare him for the MPSF's skill level.

"The game is a lot faster here," Ribeiro said. "There's a lot more coming at you from the other side."

But he refused to become discouraged.

"It comes from my father," he said. "I'm always positive in my head. Ever since I was a little kid, he taught me to think positively, and positive things will come. I'm always positive in my head."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.