The game was "Pin the Volleyball on the Mat," and the prize was much needed confidence.

The rules were simple. Hawai'i volleyball players were required to serve at 90 percent of their top speed and strike a blue rectangular mat near the end line.

"We're getting better," UH head coach Mike Wilton said. "The scores are getting better."

Now, the Warriors must see whether their serves have as much bite in tonight's match against Cal State Northridge. During their six-match losing streak, the Warriors' good work in practices was not redeemed in matches.

Jitters? Emotions?

"It's the human condition," Wilton said. "The key is to get that to translate to the match."

Their current plight — 1-6 overall, 0-4 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — could be traced to uneven performance in the serve and pass phases.

Not only are the Warriors missing serves (4.6 per set), but they are not serving tough enough to force opponents out of system. The desired goal is to score on 35 percent of the serves; only outside hitter Gus Tuaniga and pinch-server Mike China have exceeded that mark.

And that is why the Warriors have spent a significant amount of practice time on serving — almost as much as on passing and defense.

"Northridge is a good serving team," Wilton said.

Four of the Matadors are jump servers, two launch jump-float serves. Middle blocker Jacek Ratajczak, who is 7 feet, hits a floater that seemingly dances.

"He hits it so high, you can't snooze on it," Wilton said. "You have to be aggressive."

As part of the preparation, associate head coach Tino Reyes has launched serves while standing atop a 2-foot-high platform.

The Warriors also have been pondering several options that involve left-side hitter Josh Walker.

Walker is a powerful hitter from the front left, back right and back middle. But in the four-point system to rate passes, Walker is the least accurate among the left-side hitters, a position that includes freshmen Steven Hunt and Gus Tuaniga.

In most offenses, the two left-side hitters are primary passers. Walker is not comfortable playing opposite, which attacks and blocks on the right side in front-row rotations.

That means either Walker sits while Brennon Dyer or Jim Clar plays opposite, or the Warriors go with an unconventional scheme in which Walker becomes a limited passer on the left side. In the second option, Walker, Hunt and Tuaniga are in the same lineup.

The Warriors have practiced several combinations. They won't announce a starting lineup until just before tonight's match.

Ric Cervantes, for sure, will be the starting libero. Flu-like symptoms kept him from playing in the past match against Brigham Young. Cervantes and Tuaniga are the steadiest passers.

"Passing is a hard skill," Cervantes said. "I think it's the hardest skill in the game."

A more difficult task will be to re-enter the MPSF race. The MPSF is the nation's best conference.

"Winning is paramount," Cervantes said. "There's no way we can go 0-6, or anything like that. Playing against the teams we play against, we can't have a losing record going into the middle of the season. We have to start pushing now. I think it's now or never."

Wilton said looking too far ahead is "an exercise in futility. All we can be concerned about is right now, which is making the most out of each practice, making the most out of each part of every game, and getting better. I think the results take care of themselves when you do that."