No wonder Hawaii volleyball player Jarrod Lofy has been creating better blocks this season.

Lofy’s passions are volleyball and structural engineering.

After being limited to six matches as the backup to two seniors in 2010, Lofy has been in the mix at middle blocker this season. He is averaging 0.73 blocks per set in five matches. He has three starts.

"There definitely has been more focus on blocking," said Lofy, a 6-foot-9 junior from Long Beach, Calif. "That was definitely the area I needed to work on the most. It’s improved. I’m excited about where it’s headed right now."

Lofy, whose Warriors play Cal Baptist tomorrow in the Stan Sheriff Center and Saturday on Maui, has relied on patience. In 2008, he spent his redshirt year competing on the Warriors’ "B" team in practices.

He started 11 matches in 2009 while Matt Rawson recovered from shoulder surgery.

Last season, Rawson and Steven Grgas — both seniors — took most of the rotation turns at the two middle blocker spots. From the sideline view, Lofy said, "it taught me a whole lot. Ninety percent of this game is mental. It’s understanding what it takes, and seeing what it takes, and learning how the seniors got to the positions they were in."

Lofy said he kept fit the past summer playing beach volleyball in Hawaii. He said he returned to Long Beach for a month.

"The rest of the time, I was out here," Lofy said.

Lofy and several roommates share a house.

"Not that I don’t have a reason to go home (to Long Beach), but I really enjoy being out here," Lofy said. "There’s not a day where I don’t appreciate being out here. I feel blessed every day. There are some days, you wake up, and you’re just stoked to be here. I’m just stoked to be able to play volleyball and go to school."

Lofy’s sunny-side-up attitude has been helpful in coping with his schedule demands.

"Engineering is tough, and on top of that, volleyball is a lot of work," he said. "But I get through it."

Lofy initially majored in architecture. But he switched to civil engineering. After he earns a bachelor’s degree, he aspires to pursue a master’s in structural engineering.

"Basically, I want to build," Lofy said. "Currently, I’m designing my parents’ house for whenever they decide to remodel. I’m always working on it in the back of my head. It’s one of those side projects I’m always working on."