Talent infusion gives Arizona volleyball team hope heading into Year 1 in Big 12

After many sleepless nights last season, members of the Arizona volleyball program take on a conference armed with four returning starters and one of the nation’s top recruiting classes.

The Wildcats signed the No. 7 overall recruiting class in the country, according to PrepVolleyball — an incoming group led by outside hitter Carlie Cisneros of Liberty North High School near Kansas City, Missouri. PrepVolleyball tabbed Ciscneros as the No. 1 overall recruit in the country.

“I loved that it was a college community and I loved the coaching staff here,” Cisneros said of her decision to come to Tucson. “I wanted to go somewhere where I could make a difference right away and earn a spot on the court and I thought U of A was a great place to start something.”

Since Signing Day in November, the Wildcats added some additional freshmen and transfers, including middle blocker Kiari Robey from Florida State. Before playing at FSU, the second-team All-ACC player was at Oregon.

Second-year head coach Charita Stubbs said Arizona needed players who could change the program’s culture.

“Part of what I wanted when we recruited the young ladies to come in was individuals who knew how to win,” Stubbs said. “Win at their high school, win in club, All-American, Gatorade Players of the Year because it wasn’t something that we focused a lot in the past. ... So I knew that in order for us to change the culture, to believe that we were winners, we had to bring in people that knew how to win. Because we had the individuals that were athletic enough, they just had to learn how to play the game more.”

From its 2023 team, UA lost two starters, plus its libero. That includes outside hitter Sofia Maldonado Diaz, who transferred to Louisville for her fifth year. Maldonado Diaz is fourth in UA history in career aces (144) and eighth in career kills (1,393).

Last year, UA went 8-23 overall and 3-17 in its final Pac-12 season. The Wildcats started the season 0-2 at home and 0-4 in conference play. It led to many sleepless nights for Stubbs, who in addition to serving as an assistant or associate head coach for Arizona for 19 seasons, led NC State from 2006-09.

“It was hard. Part of it was because there was a moment in there where I got really selfish because every other coach in the conference and across the nation was getting their first win and I kept going ‘when am I gonna get my win?’ When am I gonna get mine?’ Stubbs said. “That was the wrong mindset to have.

“It was probably my demise when I was a head coach before — was thinking like that — so I had to put all of that aside and go back to the basic fundamentals because one of the things I can say about last year is that I don’t feel like we ever had a bad practice.”

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The Big 12 coaches picked Arizona to finish 12th in the 15-team league. UA fifth-year outside hitter Jaelyn Hodge was picked for the 2024 Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team.

Arizona has made 29 NCAA Tournament appearances but none since 2018. UA made the NCAA Tournament in 14 of Stubbs’ 19 seasons as an assistant.

“I haven’t been to the tournament since I’ve been here,” said senior middle blocker Alayna Johnson. “This is definitely our year, this is definitely the year I want to make to the tournament and I want to make it through the tournament to the end.”

Last year, seven Big 12 teams made the NCAA Tournament, though Texas has since moved to the SEC. Last year, the Pac-12 had five teams make the Big Dance, including new Big 12 team ASU.

In addition to coaching at the UA, Stubbs played for Arizona in their Pac-10 days in the early 1990s.

“I have a love/hate relationship with it. I’m a Pac-10 baby so I didn’t want to see it go away so maybe it will come back, I’m not really sure,” Stubbs said. “But every day’s gonna be a new day. I’m excited to go into the Big 12.

“There’s no expectations when you go in there, so you’re not playing Stanford, who everyone arguably knows or the LA schools and so forth and so on so going into a conference that is only up for us is exciting, every player is able to go in not knowing anything,” she added.

Digs

• All of Arizona’s home matches will be on ESPN+.
• In the Big 12 this year, the Wildcats will play 18 matches over 10 weeks, playing 10 teams once and four schools twice. Conference rivals that Arizona will see twice are BYU, Utah, ASU and Colorado.
• Arizona went 323-444 in the Pac-12 over 36 seasons. The Wildcats are 130-95-1 against the current Big 12, including winning records against ASU, Baylor, Colorado, Houston, Kansas State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah and West Virginia.