In a performance that was a work of heart, Hawai'i outlasted No. 2 Cal State Northridge for a pulsating 21-30, 30-28, 22-30, 30-23, 15-12 volleyball upset last night in the Stan Sheriff Center.

The Warriors overcame the absence of one of their most accurate passers to dominate the net and control the serve-and-pass phases in the final two sets. In improving to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Warriors ended a six-match losing streak.

"It feels great," said middle blocker Steve Grgas, emerging from the celebration inside the UH locker room. "I was jumping around in there. I don't want to be the first Hawai'i team to do terrible. This broke a little streak, and it's a good way to start a streak."

UH head coach Mike Wilton beamed as he received a congratulatory hug from his young grand-daughter.

"That's the best part right here," Wilton said, smiling. "It was a nice win. It was a very ugly match. There were a lot of miscues on both sides of the net. Northridge is a good team. This is a quality win for us. It wasn't always artful, but it was ..."

Wilton then tapped his heart.

"It came from there," he said.

Wilton was forced to change strategies when he was notified during warmups that outside hitter Gus Tuaniga would not be available to play. "You have to ask him why," Wilton said.

Tuaniga, a freshman, declined to reveal what he called "a personal matter." But he said: "I want to apologize to the coaches and the team. It was my doing."

Josh Walker, a powerful hitter but inconsistent passer, was summoned to replace Tuaniga as a left-side attacker, a position that requires passing.

"I didn't think I was going to start," Walker said. "I was ready to cheer on the team. But when they put (number) 7 on the board, I was ready to go to work. If I can't pass, you can believe I'm trying 100 percent to do everything else."

Walker put down 14 kills (against 11 errors), but contributed to eight of the Warriors' 19 blocks. He also came up with seven digs, and passed 25 serves without an error.

He had 14 kills in the fifth set, including a blast for match point.

Brennon Dyer, who started at opposite attacker, led the Warriors with 18 kills.

And the Warriors also received a boost from Joe Strotman, who made his first appearance of the season. Strotman replaced outside hitter Steven Hunt, who had the power but not the accuracy (three kills and four errors in 10 swings).

"The choices were Strotman or (Jim) Clar," Wilton said. But Clar, the team captain, has not regained full strength from a problem in his right (swinging) shoulder.

"We said, 'Let's give Strotman a chance and see what goes on,' " Wilton said.

Strotman, a 6-foot-2 transfer from Long Beach City College, provided steady passing and an emotional jolt.

"Like I told coach in the beginning of the season, I'm here for the team," Strotman said. "Wherever he wants me, when he wants me, I'll be ready."

The Matadors offer an imposing challenge. They have a towering block — middle Jacek Ratajczak is 7 feet — and an active defense. Because their block induces so many tips, the back-row players can play deep.

The solution was for UH setter Sean Carney to launch quick sets to Walker on the left side or the middle of the back row, or feed Dyer near the pins.

In turn, the Warriors served efficiently, keeping the Matadors from finding their offensive rhythm. Too often, the Matadors' corner hitters were trapped, with the a triple block sealing the angle options.

Eric Vance had 32 kills, but half came in the first two sets, and he struggled with his passing.

In the final two sets, the Matadors hit .081 and .111.

The Matadors also missed 33 serves, 14 more than the Warriors.

"We played a team game," said Grgas, who had 10 block assists, "and nobody can stop us when we play as a team."

Carney said the Warriors were not rattled by the difficult circumstances.

"It's good to see people like Joe step in," Carney said. "He never thought he'd be on the court, and he comes in and puts down some crucial balls and makes crucial passes. It's good to know we have depth."

And, at least for one night, some fun.

"I think losing does that to you," Carney said of the emotional performance. "It pushes you that much harder. We're not losers. We don't like it."