Jon Helgason/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA head coach David Rubio gives his team advice during Saturday's scrimage. His team is looking for a repeat performance of last year, when UA reached the Final Four.

Pac-10 foes are challenging enough, but Rubio's squad also will take on difficult non-conference opponents

With the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and four returning seniors from last year's Final Four team, one would think that a repeat performance would be easy for the Arizona women's volleyball team.

However, that is not the case as UA head coach David Rubio has compiled one of the nation's toughest schedules.

Within their own Pacific 10 Conference the sixth ranked Wildcats face off against defending national champion and No. 1 ranked Stanford, No. 3 USC, 11th ranked UCLA, plus Washington St. and Oregon State, who were both participants in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

The Pac-10 schedule will be a challenge in itself, but Rubio has made the schedule even more difficult in order to prepare his team for the rigors of the postseason.

Before the conference season begins, UA takes to the road and travels to take on No. 12 Pacific, Louisville, American and UT-Arlington, who were all participants in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.

Arizona's non-conference home schedule includes No. 2 Nebraska and No. 8 Pepperdine.

"We play a very tough schedule and that is what our team needs," Rubio said. "We have such a talented team and the only way to see how good we are is to play against the best teams. I realize that we will have some ups and downs against these teams, but we need to see where we stand as a team."

Key Non Conference Opponents

Sept. 7 Nebraska (McKale Center)

The second ranked Cornhuskers enter the 2002 season as the favorite to win the Big 12 Conference.

Nebraska finished the 2001 season 31-2, with its only two losses coming to national champion Stanford and runner-up Long Beach State.

The Huskers head coach John Cook said he was surprised that his team was ranked so high due to the loss of two All-American seniors' Nancy Metcalf and Jenny Kropp.

"I am a little surprised that we are ranked that high," Cook told NU's Sports Information Department. "But I think you could take the top eight teams and roll the dice. All of them have a chance to compete for the national championship."

This will be the first true test for the Wildcats.

Sept. 7 Pepperdine(McKale Center)

After its match with Nebraska, UA has to prepare it self for another tough match against No. 8 Pepperdine.

The Waves have already dropped two matches this season to Northern Iowa and Minnesota, but the Waves head coach Nina Matthies is not too concerned about her team.

"We didn't play as well as I would have hoped, but it was just the first match of the year," Matthies said. "I know we will improve and play much better as the season moves forward."

Pepperdine returns second team All-American and the West Coast Conference "Player of the Year" Katie Wilkins as well as three All-WCC players from last season.

After this weekend, the Wildcats will get an early glimpse of where they stand among the nations top programs.

Sept. 14 Pacific

The 12th ranked Tigers will be the last tune-up match for the Wildcats before they start the Pac-10 season the following week.

The Tigers return three starters from last years team that finished 14th in the country but they went out and added freshman Sidney Bennet, who was ranked 13th on the The Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 High School Seniors list.

Sept. 20 and Nov. 22 UCLA

UCLA may be ranked out of the Top 10 but are still considered to be one of the nations powerhouses in volleyball.

The Bruins lost All-American Kristy Porter but they return senior Lauren Fendrick, who lead the team last season with 398 kills.

"Lauren played extremely well for us," UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski said. "She does it all for us, passing, serving, blocking, and hitting."

UA's first match against the Bruins opens up the Pac-10 season and its last match marks the end of the conference schedule, which could have huge implications in the conference as well as seeding in the postseason.

Sept. 21 and Nov. 21 USC

The third ranked Trojans return one of the most dominating front lines in the nation with All-Americans' middle blocker Katie Olsovsky and outside hitter April Ross.

They also return five key contributors from last season's team that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

The Trojans will be poised and hungry when they come to Tucson as they want to avenge its loss to the Wildcats in last years Elite Eight.

Southern California, playing in front of its home crowd, took a commanding lead in the fifth and final game but the Wildcats fought back to stun USC to advance to its first ever Final Four.

Oct. 11 and Nov. 7 Stanford

The top-ranked and defending champion Cardinal enter the 2002 season led by perennial All-American and 2001 National Player of the Year Logan Tom. Tom enters the 2002 season fresh off her summer stint with the U.S. National Team.

"As we went through the 2001 season, Logan's affect on our team grew and grew to the point of a great Final Four performance," Stanford head coach John Dunning said. "Having spent three months this summer with the U.S. National team will make her more experienced and a better player for 2002. She should have a great senior season."