When the University of Hawai'i volleyball team plays its season-opening match against Ohio State Thursday, youth will be served.

Youth also will pass, hit, dig and block.

For the first time since the 2000 season, the Warriors' opening lineup will include two true freshmen.

"There are freshmen and there are freshmen," UH coach Mike Wilton said. "These two" — he pointed at left-side hitter Steven Hunt and opposite attacker Gus Tuaniga — "have played a lot of volleyball. They can play."

In 2000, eventual All-America players Costas Theocharidis and Eyal Zimet were freshmen. But Zimet, who served in the Israeli army, was 23, and Theocharidis was 20.

Hunt, who is from Toronto, and Tuaniga, who was raised in Hemet, Calif., are both teenagers.

Red-haired Hunt is adjusting to Hawai'i's warm weather. Hunt spent the holidays in Toronto, where the mercury dropped to minus-15 on New Year's Day.

"Then I come out here, and I'm dying in this heat," he said.

Tuaniga, whose loud spikes have as much volume as his shaggy haircut, is getting used to living on his own.

"It was a whole different world," he said of his first UH semester. "I'm used to mommy and daddy. I had to learn to do my own laundry. I had to find my own food. But it's good to learn. It's good to be independent."

Both excelled during the fall training camp. They exited as starters.

"They're playing because they can pass the ball," associate head coach Tino Reyes said. "That's what we lacked last year."

Inconsistent passing sabotaged the Warriors' quick offense last year. With the setter forced to chase bad passes, the Warriors ended up hitting a dismal .235.

Setter Sean Carney has praised the improved passing.

"Our setters won't have to go through as many pairs of shoes," Wilton mused.

Hunt is slightly more efficient as a passer, although Tuaniga probably has the best overall skills.

At 6 feet 5, Hunt is one of the Warriors' tallest left-side hitters in recent years.

"Most of our outside hitters have been in the 6-1 to 6-3 range," Wilton said. "He's 6-5, and he has a nice arm."

As the L-2, Hunt is a primary passer. When he's in the front row, he has two rotation turns on the left side and one on the right.

In most offenses, the opposite attacker has limited responsibilities as a passer. But UH has tweaked the duties, allowing Tuaniga to serve as both a hitter and a third passer. He will hit twice from the front right, once from the front left and once from the back right.

"He's an all-around hitter," Wilton said of Tuaniga.

Hunt and Tuaniga do not anticipate being overwhelmed on opening night.

"I don't think we have a lot to be nervous about," Hunt said. "Maybe gametime we will be. But we'll get over it pretty quick."

Tuaniga said: "I might have butterflies in my stomach. College is a whole different level. But I'm not nervous. I'm excited."

Reyes said both freshmen have played in the High Performance program, "which is a precursor to the Youth National and Junior National teams."

Reyes said Tuaniga once participated in a High Performance tryout in Hawai'i.

"He was, maybe, 13," Reyes said. "I didn't realize that until we talked about that."

Five years later, Reyes said, "(Tuaniga) has a lot of game. He has a lot of skill. He can hit the ball."

Hunt caught Reyes' attention while playing in the 64-team Nittany Tournament on the Penn State campus.

"We won, so I guess that helped," Hunt said.

Having also played in tournaments throughout Canada and near the American border, Hunt said, "I know what it's like to play in front of big-name schools."

In signing with UH, Hunt turned down offers from Alberta and British Columbia. Why choose UH?

"It's Hawai'i," Hunt said. "It's really nice. I hadn't been to any place tropical, so four years here will be good."

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