Dave Rubio entered this season with his eyes wide open.
Arizona’s longtime volleyball coach knew from the onset that with a lot of young talent comes lots of ups and downs. Add in a strange schedule — the Wildcats are playing a Pac-12-only slate in the spring after their fall season was canceled — and there were reasons to think this year would be unlike any other.
Rubio’s message remains the same, whether Arizona’s coming off a win, like Friday’s three-set win over rival Arizona State in McKale Center, or a loss, like Sunday’s five-set heartbreaker to the Sun Devils in Tempe.
“My whole approach this spring has been we’re just going to plan on trying to get as good as we can for the fall,” Rubio said. “The fall is really where I think for us it’s going to be where we hit our stride.”
This week, Arizona (5-9) hosts Colorado (5-7) Friday and Sunday at McKale Center.
With four weeks left in the season, Rubio is quick to point out that the Wildcats have improved substantially. While they still have to work on being consistent with their serve receive and setting in better locations, he thinks they are getting closer to putting it all together.
“If we can get those things kind of where they need to be, then we’re going to be, from a win-loss record, probably in a better place than we are right now. We’re close,” he said. “We’re competitive. We’re doing a lot of things individually; we’re making some good strides.”
Arizona took plenty of steps forward in last week’s split with rival ASU.
The Wildcats had 49 kills in Friday night’s win at McKale Center, posting a .396 hitting percentage; both were season bests.
Sofia Maldonado Diaz had 12 kills on 22 swings for a .455 hitting percentage Friday and added 15 kills Sunday.
Senior Paige Whipple finished Sunday’s match with 14 kills and 19 digs.
But it was a pair of middle blockers, Merle Weidt and Zyonna Fellows, who may have impressed Rubio the most.
They give the Wildcats a little different look — one that is working. Weidt combined for 18 kills in the weekend series against ASU, while Fellows had 14.
“We’re not as predictable offensively,” Rubio said. “The only reason we’ve been able to do that (is) because we’ve had a lot of success with Zyonna hitting the slide and Merle staying in front of the setter. I’ve been really happy with the development of the middles.”
