Editor’s note: The Star’s Zack Rosenblatt is counting down the 50 best athletes on the University of Arizona campus right now, with help from athletes, coaches and those close to the program.
No. 11: Kendra Dahlke
The details: Dahlke is a 6-foot outsider hitter from Bonsall, California, entering her junior season as a member of Arizona’s volleyball program. Dahlke came to Arizona as a highly touted recruit from Fallbrook High School. She won the Most Valuable Player award at the Junior Olympics in 2014. Dahlke attributed her decision to pick Arizona over offers from UCLA, North Carolina, Ohio State, Kansas and Oregon State largely because of Arizona’s coaching staff, led by longtime UA boss Dave Rubio.
“It is a fun environment to be a part of and represent, and I feel as though you get the whole experience of what it means to be a student-athlete here,” Dahlke said. “Coach Rubio has been here for many years and has really taken the time to develop the program and turn it into something great.”
The numbers: As a sophomore, Dahlke led the team with 496 kills and 546.5 points and was second with 3.97 kills per set. She also had a .204 hitting percentage with 278 digs (2.22 per set) and 58 total blocks. Dahlke’s stats improved across the board from her freshman season, when she averaged 1.57 kills per set. Dahlke also played for Arizona’s beach volleyball team and finished with a 8-11 overall record after being paired mostly with Mia Mason, the sister of former Arizona basketball walk-on Trey Mason.
The value: With All-American Kalei Mau and star setter Penina Snuka gone, Dahlke will be expected to emerge as Arizona’s latest go-to outside hitting star. Dahlke made a big jump in production from her freshman to sophomore season; now she’ll try to maintain that success.
“She’s the one that’s at the top of the scouting report now,” Rubio said. “She’s the one that everyone’s going to be dialed in on when they play us. So can she handle the pressure that goes with that role?”
Why Dahlke? Dahlke was expected to start right away as a freshman in 2015 but wound up losing her starting position to Tyler Spriggs. Dahlke “just went crazy” in her training, Rubio said, and came back and won the starting position back as a sophomore. If Dahlke can continue on that path, Arizona will be better for it.
Proof she’s good: Dahlke managed at least 10 kills in 28 of the 32 matches she played in after having achieving that on only four occasions as a freshman. The 28 10-kill matches are tied for the fourth-most in a season in UA history. She also finished sixth in the Pac-12 in points per set (4.37), 11th in double doubles (10) and notched 25 points in a four-set win over eventual national champion Stanford.
“For me, last season was about getting my confidence up,” Dahlke said. “The upcoming seasons are going to be about not holding anything back and being the best I can be all the time and being a leader on and off the court.”
What Dahlke can accomplish: As Arizona’s go-to player now, Dahlke should emerge as Arizona’s leader in kills and kills per set, as well as finishing amongst the league leaders in both categories. With continued improvement, Dahlke is a good bet to finish the season an All-Pac-12 selection and a candidate for All-American honors.
Coachspeak: “Kendra comes in and just committed herself in the offseason, took her game and elevated it to a different level. The thing for Kendra now is: can she maintain that and continue to get better? She has such a good aptitude for the game, has a great skill set. Her biggest challenge is being dialed in to every single day of practice and on every single contact.” — Rubio
She said it: “Some of my goals for this upcoming season are to win the Pac-12, become an All-American, be a leader on and off the court and play in the Final Four in Minneapolis this year for the chance to get to play in front of my family that is out there. This would mean so much to me, and these have always been goals of mine.” — Dahlke
