Not just the guy but THE guy.

The pitcher who throws that game-ending strike. The Bryant-esque shooter who hits the game-winning shot ... again. The volleyball player who calls for the ball at match point, and puts it down.

That is the mentality of Matt Rawson, who, after an injury-plagued career, is ready to be THE guy for the Hawaii men's volleyball team. The Warriors senior middle, pain free and swinging hard, once again has that fire in his eyes and that looming presence at the net that led his club coach to nickname him “;Dragon.”;

Two shoulder surgeries, months of rehab and thoughts of no longer playing are distant memories. Rawson's focus is on being in the present, with the immediate goal of helping Hawaii beat Brigham Young for the first time in seven meetings and getting the Warriors back on a winning streak in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation competition.

No. 8 Hawaii has not had an MPSF match since losing to UCLA on Feb. 5.

“;The break has been good for us,”; Rawson said. “;It's given us time to get back in the gym, work on what we were frustrated with.

“;The last three wins (a sweep of Alberta and two over Hope) got all the weight off our shoulders. We're ready for BYU. It's like starting the season all over again, like when we came into the Outrigger Invitational all fired up. We are re-energized and ready to get back at it.”;

If Hawaii wants to make the playoffs for the first time since 2007—Rawson's freshman year—the Warriors will need the steadiness and consistency their 6-foot-7 middle is capable of providing.

“;He's as good as any middle we've seen in the league,”; Hawaii coach Charlie Wade said. “;He's big, he's quick. When he's been really good, we've been really good,

“;I'm not sure if some of the problems have been that we're not getting him the ball enough or if the matchups weren't good. I do know that there's no doubt that we've been hard to beat when he's been good.”;

But great? Rawson's still working on it. The job of a middle blocker is just that ... a blocker. Rawson has long said he prefers getting a big stuff to putting down a kill.

“;I'm supposed to block, we're not supposed to be getting 20 kills ... although that would be nice,”; he said. “;Hitting over .500 is ideal, too. My goal every game is to get 10 kills and 10 blocks, something I haven't done.”;

He had 10 blocks once in his career, against Long Beach State last year, and 10 kills once in his first three seasons, that coming in a loss to Pepperdine last year. He's had four double-figure kill matches this season, his career-high 13 against Penn State eclipsed by 14 last week against Hope.

Rawson is also the secondary setter should Hawaii's setter end up taking the first ball.

“;I'm pretty confident in my setting,”; he said, “;anything that gives me a chance to make a play, be more involved.

“;One of the hardest things about playing volleyball is that I'm only in for three rotations (out for three rotations in the back row). What I liked about pitching in baseball was I could control the whole game, and if we lost, it was mostly on me.”;

But Rawson chose volleyball over baseball, basketball, soccer and football, all sports he played in high school. As he grew from a 5-10 seventh grader to a 6-6 high school sophomore, so did the interest in Rawson from USA Volleyball.

Rawson competed on the U.S. youth and junior national teams with thoughts now on perhaps going to the senior team and the Olympics.

“;The Olympics are the ultimate goal for any athlete,”; he said. “;But I wasn't even thinking about that, or playing professionally, until this season. My shoulder problems had me playing tentative and it got in my head.

“;But now I'm pain free and free to swing and my confidence is back.”;

Even his former teammates have seen the difference.

“;Dragon is my buddy, and I'm happy that he can be pain free and have the senior year he's having,”; former Warrior setter Brian Beckwith, the team's director of operations, said. “;The thing about him is he's so reliable and consistent on the court. And he's a low-key, humble guy off it. A good guy to be around.”;

“;I love the intensity he brings to the floor,”; said former UH player Jake Schkud, currently training with the national team in Anaheim, Calif. “;I wish I had played with him longer (than two seasons). He's a great friend and competitor.”;

Rawson expects to graduate in May with a degree in American studies. If the national team or playing indoors professionally in Europe doesn't work out, there's always that sand in his hometown of Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Although the plan is to move back to California, he'll always have a part of Hawaii with him. Rawson has two tattoos, one resembling that of the ki'i that guard Pu'uhonua o Honaunau on the Big Island on his calf, the other the outline of the island chain on the top of his foot.

“;There are no regrets about coming here,”; Rawson said. “;Nowhere else in the world has the following for men's volleyball. It's funny that when we're on the road we have bigger crowds than the home team.

“;And this year's team has a different spirit, we're more of a family. We have a really good shot to make the playoffs. If you can get to the playoffs, you can win the league. If you win that, you can get to the final four. That would be awesome.”;