What's more, they will be without starting setter Jimmy Killian (tonsillitis) for the two-match series. Opposite hitter Blake Tippett (a team-high 4.08 kills per game) has a torn labrum in his right (swinging) shoulder that makes his availability unpredictable.

"He can't really practice hitting," USC coach Turhan Douglas said. "He saves his shoulder for game time. If it's feeling good at game time, he can play."

In a three-game sweep of Rutgers-Newark last week, Tippett was pulled in Game 1 because of tightness in his right shoulder.

Despite the Trojans' problems, UH outside hitter Matt Bender repeated the team's mantra.

"We have to play them as if they were the No. 1 team in the country," Bender said. "We know that every team in this league can be good on any night. You have to be serious and honest and play everybody straight-up."

The Warriors have settled on a lineup of setter Brian Beckwith, middle blockers Mauli'a LaBarre and Dionisio Dante, outside hitters JosŽ JosŽ Delgado and Bender, opposite hitter Pedro Azenha and libero Alfred "Alfie" Reft. UH coach Mike Wilton does not anticipate any changes in the near future, although he is hopeful Delgado can improve his offensive output.

As the second left-side hitter, Delgado is a primary passer, but the fourth offensive option (behind Azenha, Bender and LaBarre). "JosŽ's all-around game is pretty good — his main role is to pass — but there may be times when we need some more offense," Wilton said.

Since hammering 20 kills in the season-opening match, Delgado has hit .117 in the next eight matches. Two times during that span, he had more errors than kills.

Part of the problem is that Delgado, because of his role as a passer, receives the fewest sets among the perimeter attackers. Azenha gets 9.7 swings per game; Delgado averages 6.3.

"Sometimes when he doesn't get the ball at certain points of the game, he loses confidence in himself," Beckwith said. "I have to continue to feed him the ball and maintain the confidence I have in him."

Delgado is most effective when he rotates to the back row. In volleyball's version of the give-and-go play, Delgado will pass to Beckwith, then position himself for a "pipe" set — an attack launched from the middle after a running start from the back row.

"He runs that route really hard," Beckwith said.

The tricky part for Delgado, who uses a three-step approach, is to make sure he is airborne before reaching the 3-meter line. It is against the rules for a back-row player to attack within 3 meters of the net.

"I have to watch the line to make sure I'm in the air," Delgado said. "But when I'm in the air (on a pipe set), I feel really comfortable. I have an opportunity to see the whole court and the block."

On pipe plays, Delgado often relies on tips from Reft. "Alfie tells me which seam is open," Delgado said. "He's always yelling, 'Go right' or 'Go left.' He's right there for me."

The threat of a pipe attack also serves to freeze the defensive middle blocker, creating one-on-one situations for the perimeter hitters.

"If (Delgado) is on, it opens up more things for us," Beckwith said.

Delgado said he is working on improving his swings from the corners. Beckwith said he tries to place sets a few feet from the net, freeing Delgado from smothering double-blocks. "I'm trying to do what I can do," Delgado said. "I think I'll be OK."