The University of Hawaii volleyball team would not have won two key matches last week to move into a first-place tie atop the toughest conference if head coach Charlie Wade had not been so stubborn.

A year ago, outside hitter Scott Hartley was ready to hand in his practice jersey. It was his fourth year in the program, and Hartley struggled for court time with the B side in practices.

"I was really frustrated," Hartley said. "I reached my breaking point."

But Wade refused the resignation.

In an impassioned speech, Wade told Hartley: "I’m not letting you quit. You’re going to stay, and you’re going to get your degree, and I think at one point, you’re going to go into a game and help us win."

Hartley, a fifth-year senior, has been a breakout sensation this season. During Siki Zarkovic’s five-match injury absence, Hartley became a go-to attacker at outside hitter. After outside hitter Kupono Fey struggled, Hartley filled the ball-control role. Hartley had 10 kills in the decisive fourth set against Pepperdine on Friday night, then hammered a career-high 18 kills in the rematch two days later.

"Lo and behold," Wade said, smiling, "he’s gone in and helped us win some pretty significant matches. And he’s on track to graduate."

Hartley said: "I was so lucky. I reached that point, and Charlie totally stepped up and saved me. He put a lot of positive thoughts in my head. He got my head on straight when it wasn’t. He got me through the toughest time."

Wade always envisioned a rosier future for Hartley. As a La Costa Canyon High junior, Hartley was 6 feet 5, 155 pounds and playing opposite. Wade believed that Hartley’s long frame, "whippy" swing and beach-volleyball experience were tools that would translate into a college outside hitter.

As a UH freshman, Hartley put in the required work in training and practices. But he was 17 when he first enrolled in August 2010 and, he conceded, "I was acting like a 17-year-old. I still came in and worked hard in the practice gym. Outside of the gym, I was staying up late and having fun and meeting people."

That changed during his junior year, when he redshirted because of a leg injury. It was then that he began the routine of doing extra workouts every day, often after two-hour volleyball practices. He changed his diet. He read books instead of playing video games at night. Harley has gained 30 pounds during his UH career, and now weighs 185 "on a skinny day." He can touch 11 feet 6.

"Look at him," Wade said. "He used to be skinny gangly thing. He didn’t look like he does now."

Hartley has honed his skills. His three-quarter-motion swing comes from his background as a baseball pitcher, when his four-seam fastball reached the 90s.

"In (practices), he’s terminal," said Wade, using the parlance for a loud kill.

In baseball, Hartley also threw a curveball, change-up and slider/cutter. In volleyball, Hartley has mastered the tip and roll shots to complement his hard angle and line spikes.

Wade said Hartley is an instinctive blocker. Wade flipped the rotation to match Hartley as a pin blocker against Pepperdine opposite Parker Kalmbach. Kalmbach was scoreless against that defensive alignment.

In UH’s assessment system, passes are rated on a 0-to-3 scale, with 3 being a pass in which the setter has the full availability of hitters. Of the 39 serves in his direction on Sunday, Hartley earned 3s and 2s for all but two of his passes.

"He’s been a very good player for us," Wade said.