By
Brian Penso
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Dedication, unselfishness guide Talbot in quest for team
Most successful teams have at least one player that always does the little things to help the squad win. For the UA volleyball team, that person is junior outside hitter Jill Talbot.
Talbot has continually exemplified the unselfishness and dedication that is crucial to the team's overall success during her three years at Arizona.
"Jill is extremely unselfish," head coach David Rubio said. "Jill will do whatever is best for the team. She always puts the team above her personal accomplishments. She is just all about the team."
In Arizona's offensive attack, Talbot does not receive a majority of the sets, which allows other players on the team to have better statistics. But,Talbot does know her role within the UA offense.
"I do whatever needs to be done," Talbot said. "I am not dominate offensively all the time, but that is not my job.
"My job is to go in and pass well, serve well and attack and block well. I need to be someone my teammates can count on."
Rubio has been pleased with the strides Talbot has made since last season.
"She has become a much more polished passer, and her conception and understanding of the game of volleyball is much greater," Rubio said. "She just understands what she needs to do to help the team win each rally."
Statistically, Talbot has improved in every category since the 1999 season.
Talbot finished the season with 287 kills, which is 67 more than she had in her sophomore season.
Also, she improved from a .239 hitting percentage a year ago to a season-ending .359 hitting percentage, which was third highest on the team.
Talbot credits much of her success to Rubio's knowledge of volleyball and his coaching style.
"I think ever since I have gotten here that all aspects of my game have improved, and that is just a testament to Rubio," Talbot said.
"He is so amazing with his volleyball knowledge, and I have just soaked that up. I am just a Dave sponge."
According to her teammates, Talbot also brings a very competitive attitude to the court, which they feed off of during matches.
"Her presence and competitive toughness is an intangible for our team," Rubio said.
Talbot said that her competitiveness and toughness on the court is a very important part of the intangibles she provides the team.
"I am not as much of a verbal leader as I am a competitive one," Talbot said. "I am really competitive, and I try to bring an intense competitive aspect onto the floor, because every point matters."
Besides looking to Rubio for guidance, Talbot often looks to fellow teammate junior setter Dana Burkholder .
Talbot and Burkholder were part of the 1998 recruiting class and have remained close during their three years in the UA program and often look to each other when struggling on the court.
"Dana and I have that kind of connection.," Talbot said. "Dana and I keep track of each other on the court, and we help each other push the team. Also, when either of us are struggling, we help each other out."
Burkholder, who is the team's floor leader, looks to Talbot as a leader as well.
"Jill and I are the cornerstones of the team," Burkholder said. "We lead the team in different ways. If it were not for her, I would not be as good of a leader."
According to Rubio, Talbot was deserving of being an All-Pacific 10 Conference first team member but was happy to see the way Talbot reacted to the news of not being honored.
"I talked to Jill and explained to her that I felt that she was just as deserving as (senior outside hitter) Allie (Napier) was for award, and she said, 'Allie deserved it. She had a great season.'"
Rubio credits Talbot's unselfishness as one of the reasons Arizona has been able to capture a share of the Pac-10 championship and advance to the "Sweet 16" in the NCAA Tournament.
To Talbot, though, recognition comes not in the form of individual awards but in terms of team success.
"The recognition I want is for the team to do well, and if that happens, I have done my job," Talbot said. "I don't play volleyball for Pac-10 awards because I am not going to sit back in my rocking chair and tell my grandchildren how I was awarded by the Pac-10.
"It is a better story to tell them about my experiences with my team and the success we had in the playoffs. To me, that is more important than any award."
Brian Penso can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.
