To compete against an opponent, the theory goes, sometimes it is helpful to become the opponent.

And that is how University of Hawai'i volleyball player Sam Morehouse, a freshman who is redshirting this season, ended up with an unfortunate haircut.

Morehouse is sporting a mad scientist's look — the top of his head shaved into a buzz cut, with the hair long on the sides — or, according to teammates, a dead-ringer for UCLA coach Al Scates. UH hosts UCLA tomorrow and Friday in the Stan Sheriff Center.

"It's very embarrassing," Morehouse said. "Walking around school, I wear a hat. When I go to weightlifting, and the football team is in there — the whole O-line and D-line — that's embarrassing."

It started when Morehouse and one of his housemates, middle blocker Steven Grgas, decided to give each other buzz cuts.

"Sam lives in our house now, and he's part of the crew, so he had to do it," Grgas said. "I was like, 'You cut my hair first, and I'll cut yours second.' "

Grgas received a full buzz cut. Then Grgas shaved only the top of Morehouse's head, in a semi-circle, then sprinted away.

"I put the blades in my room, then locked my room," Grgas said, laughing. "I said, 'You have to leave it. This is your initiation for this semester.' It's part of the tradition."

Indeed, two years ago, co-captain Jake Schkud gave himself the same haircut. Schkud received a compliment from Scates.

"It always was one of the things that gives the guys a little bit of a spark," Schkud said. "When I did it, it was as a joke. Scates liked it. Sam decided to keep the tradition alive."

UH coach Mike Wilton said: "I guess they've been fooling around. I remember when (Scates) had a lot of hair. He was a really good player."

The Warriors are hopeful the lightened mood — plus another lineup revision — will be effective against the most successful team in NCAA men's volleyball history.

"UCLA is UCLA," Grgas said. "There's something about them."

Setter Sean Carney said: "They're a team that is always going to be good. They're UCLA."

The Warriors squandered several large leads in a two-match loss at UC Santa Barbara two weekends ago. They played their alumni in an exhibition last week.

The new lineup returns Carney to his natural position at setter, ending a four-match experiment in which he played opposite attacker.

Jim Clar, who has successfully recovered from an abdominal strain, will start at one of the three outside-hitting positions. Ric Cervantes and Matias Brizuela are competing for the starting libero's job.

Carney said it was a difficult transition back to setter, despite being away only two weeks.

"It was tough," he said. "I have a week under my belt (at setter), and I feel I'm getting it back."

Clar said his stamina has improved.

"Everything feels good now," he said.

Clar's return should help Joshua Walker, a second-year freshman who has emerged as the Warriors' go-to hitter. While Clar and Schkud can play all three outside positions, Walker is most comfortable as a left-side hitter.

The key, Walker said, "is we have to pass well. We have to get on runs, and we have to hold on to leads."

Yesterday, Wilton reminded his players about the voluntary sessions set aside for serving. The Warriors opened yesterday's practice with serving drills.

"My focus is on us," Wilton said. "We're trying to get better every day. That's where I am."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.