After an animated practice yesterday, the Hawai'i volleyball team received what it considered its just dessert.

Chocolate chip cookies.

"These are great," associate head coach Tino Reyes said of the treats provided by the hotel staff. "They're taking care of us."

In the high altitude of Provo, Utah (elevation 4,500 feet) and against traditionally tough Brigham Young, few would be surprised if the Warriors crumble, like the proverbial cookie, in matches today and tomorrow.

"We're loose," Reyes said. "Everybody doesn't think we'll do much. The guys in the locker room think we can change that."

The key, Reyes insisted, will be the serve-and-pass game. The Warriors finished the scheduled 2-hour practice 15 minutes early, then returned to the Smith Fieldhouse court to work on their serves.

The service goal is 90-percent accuracy. Of the regulars, freshman outside hitter Gus Tuaniga leads with .895 accuracy.

More importantly, the Warriors have scored 40 points when Tuaniga serves. Of his 95 serves, 42 percent produce UH points. The serve-scoring goal is 35 percent.

"Gus is our best server," Reyes said. "We score the most points when he serves. He has enough velocity. He doesn't make unforced errors."

Tuaniga's success as a server, as well as his accurate passes, will keep him in the starting lineup. Steven Hunt will start at the second left-side position, and Brennon Dyer will open as the opposite attacker.

From the start of fall training through the first four matches this season, the Warriors ran an unconventional offense in which the weakest passer — Josh Walker — was used at left-side hitter. In most offenses, the opposite has limited passing responsibilities. In the UH scheme, Walker was the go-to hitter in all six rotation turns. He hit three times from the front left, twice from the back right and once from the back middle.

Reyes said Walker was needed to hit at least .300. In the first four matches, Walker hit .231, .353, .196 and .000. He did not start in UH's fifth match.

Opponents, it appeared, were defending Walker's seam shots.

"We need him to use the whole court," Reyes said. "He has the capability. Now he needs the confidence. He'll do it. He'll learn fast."

Reyes said Clay Stanley, a former UH player, also was a one-dimensional hitter early in his collegiate career. But Stanley learned to expand his offense. Stanley is now an Olympic gold medalist earning a seven-figure salary playing professionally in Europe.

Reyes said that Tuaniga also must learn to widen his menu of shots.

"He needs to hit with more range — down the line, hit the deep corner," Reyes said. "He's working on it."

Hunt rebounded from a humbling performance against Pepperdine (nine attack errors, minus-.031 hitting) to pound a season-high 24 kills in the rematch.

Hunt, a freshman from Toronto, is a perfectionist who often curses at himself when he makes mistakes.

Hunt said he is working on controlling his emotions.

"I hate when I make mistakes," Hunt said. "I get mad at myself."

The Warriors appear to be relatively healthy. Libero Ric Cervantes, who missed Monday's practice because of flu-like symptoms, worked out the past two days.

Middle blocker Matt "Dragon" Rawson does not appear to be bothered by a subluxed left (non-hitting) shoulder.

"We'll put on a couple of those strips Keri Walsh used in the Olympics," Reyes said, laughing. "And Shaq gave us some Icy Hot."