DAVE HARDEN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore Bre Ladd is on her way to becoming the first sophomore in UA history to have a 1000-kill season.

New jump-service method has sophomore's numbers on rise

At home matches, UA cheerleaders throw out T-shirts after each Wildcat service ace.

So it's a good thing the volleyball team is on the road for the second straight week ÷ otherwise, Bre Ladd may bankrupt the athletic department.

Ladd, a sophomore middle blocker, has 24 aces this year for the No. 22 Wildcats (6-6, 0-2 Pacific 10 Conference) just two matches into the Pac-10 season. She had 19 all of last year.

The big difference for Ladd is that she is now jump serving, rather than serving from the ground like last year.

"She's jump-serving, for one. That's creating a lot of opportunities and she has a really tough jump serve," head coach Dave Rubio said. "I think that that's the biggest reason, because she's able to create more movement on the ball."

Over the weekend, Ladd, who began jump-serving in the spring, had one ace against Washington State and two against Washington.

"Dave thought that, if we had more jump-servers on the team, (it would) add a whole other dimension to the team, because we're constantly going after the other team, attacking, attacking," Ladd said. "He just decided that he thinks it's effective and he lets me do it."

Fellow sophomore outside hitters Kim Glass and Jennifer Abernathy also jump-serve.

"Washington State has four kids that jump-serve," Rubio said. "Obviously, everyone has seen how offensive it can be and what kind of opportunities it creates. It's a high-error serve, though the more you do it, the better you get at it.

"That's the reason why we do it. We have Kim and Bre doing it. It creates an offensive mindset for the team that's doing it and defensive mindset for the team that's receiving the serve," he added.

Arizona is tied with Washington for second in the Pac-10 in service aces with 15 (1.67 a game). Washington State leads the conference with an even two per game.

"I like doing it a lot," Ladd said. "I think that it definitely helps, attacking the other team constantly. The more I do it, the better I get at it."

Rubio likened the jump serve to a fastball pitch in baseball.

"I think that the jump serve, in terms of baseball, that would be like a 100 mph fastball. The normal float serve would be like a knuckleball," Rubio said. "The jump serve is the heater."

Ladd had three service errors against the Cougars and two against the Huskies, but Rubio said that he thinks she's done well serving this year.

"We're confident when she's back there," he said. "She creates a lot of defensive opportunities for us because of her jump serve."

Ladd has excelled this year ÷ whether she is serving or not. She is second on the team with 134 kills (3.12 a game) and trails only junior middle blocker Jolene Killough in hitting percentage at .302. Last year at this time, Ladd had just 75 kills.

"I think Bre's been playing very good. My goal is for Bre to become a full-time player and she won't have to be taken out of the back row," Rubio said. "She's getting closer to that. We'll see how the season goes along and (how) she develops."

Last year, Ladd had 124 total blocks ÷ the most for any freshman in school history ÷ and her 1.09 blocks-per-game average was the best for any Arizona freshman. She was also on the freshman All-Pac-10 team and honorable mention All-Pac-10.

Ladd said she is still adjusting to this year's changes.

"We have a new setter and a little bit of a new system (and) different sets, so it's been a learning experience," she said. "Even though I'm not a freshman anymore and have a year of experience under my belt, it's all been a learning experience with a new setter."

Rubio thinks the future could be bright for Ladd. A Tucson native, she went to Canyon del Oro High School and played volleyball for Club Cactus.

Ladd was highly touted coming into last year. She was the 2001 Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year and was first in Volleyball Magazine's Fab 50 for 2002, helping the UA earn the distinction of having the No. 1 recruiting class.

"I think that Bre could be one of the best players in the country by the time she finishes. I really feel that way," Rubio said. "I think she's certainly going to have the opportunity to develop into that kind of player.

"She works hard. She's got a great attitude. She's exceptionally talented," he said. "The key now is to refine her game to the point where she can play every position."