CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore outside hitter Kim Glass and the Arizona volleyball team are wrapping up spring practice after a tournament win at Cal State Bakersfield. Arizona is expected to contend for the national championship next season.

Wildcats confident as spring practice comes to close

The Arizona volleyball team is almost done with spring practice, and after work that included a tournament win in head coach David Rubio's old stomping grounds, the UA head coach is excited about the team's chances this year.

After 6 a.m. practices and some sand volleyball games, the Wildcats won a tournament last week at Cal State Bakersfield, Rubio's previous school.

"The way the training has been going for the spring and the way we're finishing up spring, ... I feel confident going into the fall. I've seen some great improvements by just about everybody on the team," Rubio said. "I'm really excited, very pleased at where we are as a group."

Arizona returns everyone from last season except setter Kelly Griffin-Halfaker. The Wildcats will have the services of outside hitter/middle blocker Angie Ayers, an honorable mention all-freshman All-Pac-10 player who missed last year with an injury.

"Physically, we're much better. (Freshman setter) Stephanie (Butkus) has done a terrific job as a setter and I think her, along with some of the other players, are really coming in to their own," Rubio said.

Arizona opened up the spring tournament with a 3-0 win over Colorado, and beat Fresno State 2-1 and St. Mary's 3-0 before falling to Rice 2-1.

The tournament was made up of mostly Division I teams. The host Roadrunners and defending National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national champion Fresno Pacific, who finished fifth and ninth in the tourney, respectively, were the only two lower-level teams.

The Wildcats head to Arizona State this weekend for a tournament that includes Northern Arizona, Houston and Southwest Missouri State before wrapping up practice next week.

'05 freshman class nearly complete; '04 recruits set

The beginning of the second letter of intent-signing period came and went last week with the Wildcats failing to add a

player to their two-woman recruiting class, though they are getting close to filling up their 2005 class.

Arizona had a scholarship available and a top-rated player who committed to the UA, but decided to save it. The Wildcats already signed setter Amy Dyck of Sandpoint, Idaho, and middle blocker/outside hitter Dominique Lamb out of Chandler.

"We are in a position where we still have a scholarship available for this upcoming year, and we did have a player that visited us officially, but we decided to go into a different direction," Rubio said. "So we're setting our sights on the '05 class, the juniors right now. At this time, I would say probably 90 percent of the '05 class has already made commitments."

Chicago's Daily Herald reported that Wheeling, Ill., All-American libero Krista Chin committed to Arizona between signing periods.

But the Wildcats don't have much room on the team next season. Along with Ayers, all the returning players and the two freshmen, they add the athletic and big middle blocker Enobong Ibok.

Rubio said there is a "pretty good chance" that the team will receive more commitments in the next couple of weeks.

Glass to play for U.S. training team

Two-time All-American and sophomore outside hitter Kim Glass will play on the 2004 USA national training team.

"She'll be leaving in the end of May to participate with the USA collegiate team (and) maybe some older kids on that squad that will play in the senior open nationals," Rubio said.

Glass, along with sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Abernathy and sophomore middle blocker Bre Ladd, was on the 2001 U.S. Junior national team.

Libero liberated: Serving now allowed

Libero means "free" in Italian - and now, junior Kelli Mulvany is free to serve along with her fellow liberos.

After the 2003 season, the libero rule was changed so that the relatively new position is permitted to serve. The libero wears a different colored jersey from the rest of the team, is restricted to the back row, can only pass, cannot complete an attack, cannot block, and potential replacements at her position are unlimited.

Rubio, who was critical of the UA's serving a number of times last year, said it would help the Wildcats become a better serving team.

"I know with us, with Kelli Mulvany, she's an excellent server," Rubio said. "I think that changes the game a bit from that aspect."