Julia Patterson
Julia Patterson has taken on responsibilities for the Arizona Wildcats volleyball team unheard of for underclassmen.
During her freshman year, Patterson watched from the sidelines while the team played. She found it frustrating, but said it was beneficial for her in the end.
“Penina Snuka took Julia under her hand and was mentoring Julia throughout the season,” UA coach Dave Rubio said. “Julia being an astute student paid attention to everything Penina said and everything Penina did and so it really prepared her for the role she is in now.”
Now the Wildcats’ starting setter, Patterson is in charge. She posted 96 total assists in Friday’s Wildcat Invitational matches, as UA beat William & Mary 3-1 and New Mexico State 3-2.
The UA (6-2) will face Illinois State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“Being the setter is like being the quarterback,” Patterson said. “There is a lot more reliability on the setting position so I have felt [the pressure] from there but I’ve also felt it in the leadership aspect.”
The pressure doesn’t faze Patterson; in fact, she says she enjoys it.
“I’m not very good at telling someone to pick it up,” Patterson said. “I’ve definitely tried to get out of my comfort zone when it comes to that and being on people more for their accountability.”
Patterson wants her teammates to follow her work ethic, whether its staying focus in practice or getting caught up on academics. Patterson does her schoolwork little by little during the week, especially if there’s a weekend full of matches.
Patterson also has made sure to create relationships with each teammate individually, that way they can turn to her for advice on volleyball, school, or social life.
“We’re very fortunate to have someone that has the ability to take on the responsibilities because they can be a real burden,” Rubio said. “For her it’s not. For her it’s a challenge. She’s always trying to get better everyday, how she handles the team and how she handles the position.”
Rubio said he couldn’t be happier with the leader Patterson has become.
“I think I’ve improved on the season on my set selection and I’ve been a lot more observant of the situations that need more leadership and how to keep the team calm when plays get out of hand or to say ‘OK, come on we need to pick this up, we’re losing our lead here,’ ” Patterson said. “I think overall we have improved, we’re just trying to work together to function and compete at a high level consistently.”
Notable
- Saturday’s match will mark a homecoming for Illinois State setter Jordan Weatherless, a Tucson native who played at Ironwood Ridge High School. Weatherless’ mother, Renee Rosas Weatherless, played softball at the UA in the early-1990s.
