Setter Scott Miller was sick and tired of seeing selfishness eat away at the men's volleyball team.

He was tired of players yelling "set me" during matches. He was tired of players screaming at each other, telling each other what to do.

Most of all, he was sick and tired of losing.

So he and his teammates decided to do something about it.

Their No. 1 goal for this season is team cohesion -- above winning Easterns, and above making the Final Four.

"In the past, we all talked like 'we can be so good,' " Miller said. "(This year) we said, 'We are tired of just talking, let's do it.' "

And so far, they have.

The Lions are 9-1, and ranked fourth in the Tachikara/USVBA Coaches poll, after two weekend victories over UCLA. And the "quarterback" of one of the nation's most sophisticated offenses attributes most of the success to team cohesion.

"I think it's made us a better team because people know their role now," Miller said. "We are definitely a unified team."

And that's a major change from years past. During Miller's freshman year, he sat on the bench for the top-ranked team in the nation, a team that ended up finishing second at Easterns.

"There (were) a lot of really good players, and they wanted to be the stars," Miller said.

Besides the team problems, Miller also had personal problems.

"My freshman year was a tough one," he said. "It was tough getting used to being in college and it kind of hit me pretty hard."

Miller did have a chance to learn from one of the greats in his freshman year, however, current U.S. National Team setter Javier Gaspar.

"Just watching him you could learn," Miller said. "Every time there was a chance he'd tell me or show me something."

In fact, Miller learned to improve his "dump," faking a set and pushing the ball over the net on the second hit, from Gaspar.

"I do that a little bit," he said. "I should be doing it more."

After Gaspar left, Miller took over the starting job as a sophomore, and was doing well until he was hurt in the Eastern semifinals. Jim Schall took his place and led the team to an Eastern title and a Final Four bid.

Miller returned to start at the Final Four, but that match began a stretch of over a year where Miller and Schall jostled for the starting position. Miller contracted mononucleosis in the fall of his junior year, and fell behind in his preseason training.

"I think that's what hurt me the most," he said. "I don't really think I played as well as I could have or should have (last year)."

It was a tough year for both Miller and Schall, being shuffled in and out against different teams.

"I think I was playing up and down and he was playing up and down and that's why we were in and out," Miller said.

"I think anytime that (sharing time) happens it takes some quality individuals to make it work for them," assistant coach Mark Pavlik said.

And they have. They came in to this season with an equal shot at the starting job, and Miller won it. And although Schall has spent most of his time on the bench, he has been far from useless. During this year's matches, the player who is not setting, be it Miller or Schall, charts the offense and acts as an offensive coordinator of sorts.

"They've continued to help each other (despite the competition)," Pavlik said.

"(Jim) still has a chance to play this year, but I think I should be the starter right now the way I'm playing," Miller said. "Its a tough situation because he is such a hard worker and dedicated."

So far this season, there is no doubt that Miller is right. He had 92 assists, 12 digs, and eight kills against UCLA last Thursday night.

Yet he is still not satisfied.

"Just these back to back wins against UCLA sent a message," Miller said, "(but) we can still improve -- I can still improve."

And the Lions are tired of being intimidated by Western teams at the Final Four.

"We should be at the Final Four, and when we are there I think we can do something there and not just show up," Miller said.