The day after longtime Arizona Wildcats volleyball coach Dave Rubio announced his retirement, the UA hired his successor, Charita Stubbs.

Stubbs, a former player under Rubio at Arizona, is the fourth head coach in program history and becomes the first African American to lead the UA volleyball team. Stubbs also coached under Rubio for 19 years, from 1997-2005, then once again from 2013 to this past season.

“I am incredibly excited to name Charita Stubbs as our next head volleyball coach,” Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke said in a news release. “As a former Wildcat student-athlete and longtime member of Dave Rubio’s staff, Rita has a great appreciation and understanding of what it means to compete for the University of Arizona.

“She is a nationally respected figure in college volleyball who is outstanding at developing elite volleyball athletes with a passion for recruiting and guiding these student-athletes into academic, athletic and life champions that align with our mission and values. Rita has a tremendous vision and outstanding skillset that will set the course for future success for Arizona volleyball, and I look forward to watching her add more chapters to the storied legacy of the program.”

Arizona volleyball coach Charita Stubbs, left, played for Dave Rubio and was his assistant for nine years before leaving in 2006. She returned in 2013 and has now succeeded Rubio as the leader of the program.

Stubbs said she’s “excited to lead my alma mater as I bleed red and blue.”

“I cannot thank Dave Rubio enough for believing in this girl from Cleveland, Ohio, as a player and as a coach,” she said. “I stand for truth, hard work and discipline in this game, and I will continue Arizona volleyball’s culture where our student-athletes enjoy the process.”

Formerly Charita Johnson, Stubbs played for Rubio at Arizona from 1992-94 and became the first player in program history to accumulate 300 kills, 300 digs and 100 blocks in one season. She led the Wildcats to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances during her final two seasons and earned All-Pac-10 honors in ‘94. Stubbs holds school records for career (117) and single-match (eight) solo blocks.

University of Arizona assistant volleyball coach Charita Stubbs right, works with the team during a practice at McKale Center.

After playing professionally in France, Stubbs returned to Tucson and became an assistant and associate head coach under Rubio. In 2006, she was hired as the head coach at North Carolina State, where she posted a 22-111 record (4-80 in ACC play).

Since returning to Arizona in 2013 to serve as Rubio’s assistant, the Wildcats have won 175 matches and qualified for the postseason five times.

In naming Stubbs as Rubio’s successor, the UA executed a plan similar to how it handled the softball program’s coaching change in June 2021. Caitlin Lowe was elevated to the head-coaching position on the same day that Mike Candrea officially announced his retirement.

Rubio was asked Tuesday whom he’d pick to be his replacement.

“The natural person would be my associate head coach, Rita Stubbs,” Rubio told ESPN Tucson. “She played for me; she’s going on her 19th or 20th year of being my assistant. So I think that she would probably be the one.”

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Contact sports producer Justin Spears at jspears@tucson.com. On Twitter: @JustinESports