KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat

UA senior setter Dana Burkholder poses with a volleyball yesterday at the McKale Center. Burkholder was selected as the Pac-10 Player of the Year and First-Team All-America last season, leading the Wildcats to the Elite Eight for the first time in team history.

Tuesday August 28, 2001 |

Pac-10 Player of the Year Burkholder not afraid of long hours

In order to be a Division I athlete, a student must perform well both in the classroom and on the court.

That's not a problem for UA senior setter Dana Burkholder, who has excelled at both during her first three years at Arizona.

As the catalyst of the UA offense, Burkholder led the Wildcats last season to the team's first Elite Eight appearance. She also pulled in first team All-America and Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Year honors.

Burkholder's consistent play also led to the team's .320 attack percentage, which was the second highest in Pac-10 history.

"As the setter she runs the show," junior middle blocker Stefani Saragosa said. "Dana fits that role, and she is really good at it. This season, with the new changes, she will be able to do special things with the ball, and she is a great showman. She is so important to our overall success this season."

From the minute she stepped onto the court three years ago, Burkholder has taken a leadership role with the team.

"Dana's role has been defined for her the first day she walked in as a freshman," UA head coach David Rubio said. "She by nature commands great respect, and she is a terrific leader. She earned all of her awards because of the type of player she is and the value she has within our program."

As the all-time assist leader in school history, Burkholder is among the elite setters in the nation.

Her on-the-court achievements are numerous, and her off-the-court accomplishments are just as impressive.

file photo

UA senior setter Dana Burkholder sets the ball for senior outside hitter Jill Talbot last season in McKale Center. The Wildcats enter this season ranked No. 6 in the country.

Besides being a standout volleyball player, Burkholder also stayed focused in her classes, as she received an All Pac-10 Academic Honorable Mention last season.

As the spring semester came to a close, Burkholder didn't take a break. She stayed enrolled in summer school so she could train at the UA facilities. The work didn't stop there - when she wasn't hitting the weights or the books, she was stocking shelves at Trader Joe's.

"I worked at Trader Joe's this summer, and I went to school like four hours a day," Burkholder said. "I also made sure I worked out a lot to stay in shape. It was a pretty crazy summer."

Rubio said he admired Burkholder's efforts over the summer.

"I am a true believer that you never forget where you come from," Rubio said. "I mean, here's the Pac-10 player of the year stocking shelves at Trader Joe's, and in her off time she is running wind sprints and lifting weights. I love that aspect about her and all of our players."

Unlike other sports such as football and basketball, there is no real professional opportunity in volleyball, which means that Burkholder plays the game of volleyball solely for personal satisfaction.

"That is really what athletics should be all about," Rubio said. "It should be about the love for the sport and the passion and hard work that goes behind becoming a great player."

Rubio said he enjoys seeing athletes such as Burkholder strive to be the best at a sport that offers no chance of a professional career and the money associated with it.

"Unfortunately, a lot of sports are about money," Rubio said. "When you are busting your tail to see just how good you can be, that's the idea behind college athletics."

Coming into her senior season, Burkholder is one of four seniors looked upon to ease the transition of the team's eight incoming freshmen as they enter one of the nation's elite volleyball programs.

This will mean that the team captain will have even more responsibility, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"There is no added pressure this season," Burkholder said. "I put enough pressure on myself, and it is not new to me. I have been expected to play well since I was a freshman, and nothing changes this season."

Going into the upcoming season, the Wildcats are ranked sixth, which is the highest preseason ranking in school history.

Players and coaches have said this team has a chance to make a run at the school's first national championship, but Burkholder doesn't think a title is the only goal worth pursuing.

"My goal is to win a national championship, but winning is not everything," Burkholder said. "I am very focused on winning, but I want us to have a great season, and I want our team to improve as the season progresses. I want us to have a good season and for us to have fun as well."