Power hitter Alex Hunt, with 220 kills, has been a steady force for the No. 22 Michigan volleyball team with 18 games remaining in the season. Behind her, two freshmen, Lexi Erwin and Molly Toon, have emerged.

Many see Hunt, a junior, as a gifted outside hitter from the front row as well as the back row. But she wasn't always in the position to rack up these gaudy statistics.

Michigan coach Mark Rosen explained this week that he wasn't always sure that Hunt would make such an impact as she has. After all, she didn't seen any playing time during her first 12 games at Michigan.

But she didn't waste her time on the bench, observing and analyzing the way opponents played, particularly their defenses. It aided her in moving around the block and her stats almost doubled from a mere 243 kills in 2008 to 465 in 2009.

Erwin and Toon are doing the same observation Hunt did in her freshman year, as they rotate in and out of the other outside hitter position left up for grabs on the floor. And before one of them permanently takes the spot, she'll have to adjust to the differences of college volleyball.

"It’s faster," Toon explains. "You have to think a lot faster than in high school."

Erwin stressed that the fundamental basis to having a strong mental game is "being confident in that the team trusts (us) and that (we’re) here for a reason."

Slowly, as the season has progressed, they have discovered new strengths and made developments in their respective areas of weakness.

Erwin, who was predominantly a defensive player during high school, is now learning her natural talent as a power swinger and just how much damage she is capable of in Michigan's front row.

Toon, on the other hand, has been able to gain confidence in her blocking abilities which have exceeded her own expectations. She said there is still room for improvement.

Even with this confidence, another force driving Erwin and Toon is the competition every day in practice. They raise each other’s level of play by constantly taking on a competitive attitude.

"I think we work as a team," Toon said. "We come off the court and help each other with what we can get better at."

Whether it's pointing out good spots to direct a spike or what blocks the defense is commonly using, they are becoming more comfortable on the college court.

"You know I think whatever they become is still an unwritten story a little bit," coach Rosen said. "But we'll see as this year progresses."