Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1161821
2 0 1 9 P A C - 1 2 V O L L E Y B A L L M E D I A G U I D E / / T E A M S 14 A R I Z O N A W I L D C A T S WILDCAT FACTS Location: Tucson, AZ 85721 Founded/Enrollment: 1885/42,236 Colors: Cardinal & Navy Joined Pac-12: 1986 All-Time Record: 697-490-2 (42 years) Home Court: McKale Center (14,655) President: Robert Robbins Faculty Rep: Ricardo Valerdi Athletic Director: Dave Heeke SWA: Erika Barnes Head Coach: David Rubio (CS Northridge, '82) Career Record: 634-387 (32 years) Arizona Record: 512-321 (27 years) Pac-12 Record: 257-248 (27 years) Office: (520) 621-2856 Fax: (520) 626-7018 Assistant Coaches: Gregg Whitis, Charita Stubbs SID: Matt Ensor Office: (520) 621-0916 Fax: (520) 621-2681 Volleyball SID: Danny Martinez E-Mail: danny.martinez@arizona.edu Office: 520-621-0084 Cell: 520-409-1810 Press Row Phone: (520) 621-5291 2018 Records: Overall: 22-11 Pac-12: 11-9 (5th) NCAA: 0-1/First Round RECORD HOLDERS KILLS Career: 2151 Kim Glass, 2002-05 Season: 650 Kim Glass, 2003 Match: 41 Melissa McLinden vs. Brigham Young (12/14/85) HITTING PERCENTAGE Career: .397 Marisa DaLee, 1997-00 Season: .437 Marisa DaLee, 2000 Match: .778 Dominique Lamb (14-0-18) vs. Oregon State (11/10/06) ASSISTS Career: 5424 Dana Burkholder, 1998-2001 Season: 1,562 Dana Burkholder, 2000 Match: 84 Dana Burkholder vs. Arizona State (9/13/00) TOTAL BLOCKS Career: 532 Kelly Waage, 1986-89 Season: 226 Kelly Waage, 1988 Match: 17 Beth Raymond vs. Oregon State (10/25/86) DIGS Career: 1642 Candace Nicholson, 2010-13 Season: 512 Candace Nicholson, 2013 Match: 37 Katie Jackels vs. Oregon State (8/25/07) SERVICE ACES Career: 162 Kim Glass, 2002-05 Season: 80 Kiyomi Morino, 1987 Match: 8 Kathleen Guthrie vs. Utah (9/7/82) NO. NAME POS HT YR EXP HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL (LAST SCHOOL) 1 Erin Williamson L/DS 5-5 So. HS Atlanta, Ga./Johns Creek HS 3 Shardonee Hayes MB 6-3 R-Jr. 2V Columbus, Ga./Columbus HS 4 Julia Patterson S 5-11 Sr. 3V Los Alamitos, Calif./Los Alamitos HS 6 Katie Smoot OH 6-2 Jr. 2V San Mateo, Calif./Notre Dame HS 7 Simone Overbeck OH 6-0 Fr. HS Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park HS 8 Kamaile Hiapo L/DS 5-7 Fr. HS Mesa, Ariz./Skyline HS 10 Paige Whipple OH 6-1 Jr. 2V Salem, Ore./West Salem HS 13 Devyn Cross MB 6-0 Sr. 3V Edwards Air Force Base, Calif./Desert HS 15 Malina Kalei Ua L/DS 5-4 So. 1V Long Beach, Calif./Lakewood HS 16 Zyonna Fellows MB 6-4 So. 1V Tacoma, Wash./Mount Tahoma HS 17 Elizabeth Shelton OH 6-2 R-Jr. 2V Edwards Air Force Base, Calif./Desert HS 18 Whittnee Nihipali OH 6-1 So. 1V Las Vegas, Nev./Shadow Ridge HS 20 Mackay Sennyey OH 6-2 Fr. HS Tucson, Ariz./Tucson HS 22 Makenna Martin L/DS 5-9 Sr. 3V Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS 33 Emi Pua'a L/DS 5-6 Sr. 1V Honolulu, Hawai'i/Punahou School (Iowa Western CC) 35 Mahina Pua'a S 5-7 Jr. TR Honolulu, Hawai'i/Punahou School (Iowa Western CC) Letterwinners Returning/Lost/Newcomers: 11/4/4 Returning starters in bold. RUBIO'S CAREER RECORD Year School Overall Conference Postseason 1987-91 CS Bakersfield (5 years) 122-66 (.649) 39-19 (.672) 9-3 (.750) 1992-18 Arizona (27 years) 512-321 (.615) 259-245 (.514) 26-19 (.577) Career totals (32 years) 734-387 (.655) 298-264 (.530) 26-19 (.577) Div. I only • 1989 NCAA II National Champion, 2001 NCAA National Semifinals HEAD COACH DAVID RUBIO • Has led the Wildcats to 14 20-win seasons and 20 NCAA apperances, including eight NCAA apperances in the last 10 years. • Leads all active conference coaches with 490 victories as a Pac-12 coach. • Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 2000, leading UA to its first Conference title. • Guided Arizona from a winless league record in 1991 to the NCAA West Regionals in 1993. That same year was named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) West Region Coach of the Year. • Prior to arriving at UA, Rubio won a Div. II title at Cal State Bakersfield in 1989 and let the team to two national semifinals TEAM OUTLOOK The No. 24-preseason ranked Wildcats bounced back last year after a down season in 2017. Picked ninth in the 2019 preseason coaches poll, Arizona placed fifth in the league standings, making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years, and eighth in 10 years. It loses its big- gest offensive weapon in Kendra Dahlke, an AVCA All-Pacific South team member and All-Pac-12 honoree but returns 11 letterwinners, including four starters and their primary libero. But seniors Devyn Cross (pictured) and Julia Patterson are back this season and were very productive in 2018. STRENGTHS • Arizona brings back experience with seven on its roster that played at least 100 sets out of a possible 125, and of those, six earned starts in at least 23 matches. Senior Julia Patterson will be called on to lead the charge again in 2019 after ranking fourth in the Pac-12 in assists per game (10.74 apg). She was also the only Wildcat to play in every set last season. • Senior Devyn Cross brings back her efficient attack and defense prowess. She ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.361) and led the team with a 1.03 blocks per set average, earning honorable mention All-American honors. She is just 41 blocks away from cracking UA's career top 10. • Helping out Cross at the net is redshirt junior Shardonee Hayes, who was just a bit better than Cross in hitting percent- age at .363 on the season. She had a breakout season in 2018, becoming a reliable starter and appearing in 102 sets. She led the Wildcats in blocks in 11 matches, finishing second on the team in total blocks at season's end. • Senior leadership can be found from the libero position, as well, with Makenna Martin as the incumbent. She the 10th-best digs per set average in the league, posting a career-best 3.51 average on the season. CONCERNS • The Wildcats graduated the biggest producer on the team in Kendra Dahlke, who last year ranked fifth in the country and led the Conference with 4.77 kills per set. Junior Paige Whipple emerged as a reliable second option but will still need help carrying the load in 2019. Head coach Dave Rubio has five outside hitters to choose from, however. • Arizona appears to have all the pieces of an improved season, with plenty of experienced student-athletes back on the roster. Consistency, however, could still be an issue with eight underclassmen on the roster. 2019 ARIZONA ROSTER