JOSHUA SILLS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore Bre Ladd, left, freshman Holyce Caldwell, center, and members of the UA volleyball team clown around during yesterday's media day gathering at McKale Center. The team opens play this weekend in Malibu, Calif.

For the first time in coach Dave Rubio's 12-year Arizona career, there is no true senior class. Good thing it is still one of his most talented squads.

With only one senior, setter Kelly Halfaker, who sat out last year after transferring from New Mexico, the No. 10 Wildcats will rely heavily on its highly touted sophomore and freshmen players.

"This year, like all past years, we have high expectations of doing well in the conference and finishing in the top three in the conference, and making it back to the Final Four," Rubio said. "Despite our age, these are achievable goals for us. The hope is that we can take this team and evolve it into a national caliber type of team."

In 2003, the Wildcats will count on their sophomores, as well as the nation's top recruiting class last year, which includes outside hitter and 2002 AVCA National Freshman of the Year Kim Glass, to return to the Elite 8 for the fourth year in a row.

Sophomore middle blocker Bre Ladd, the 2001 Gatorade National High School Volleyball Player of the Year, doesn't feel the sophomore class has outside pressure on it, but rather internal expectations. She felt that team chemistry is also "a million times" better this year than last.

"Actually, last year there was lot of added pressure because we had such a hyped up freshman class, the number one recruiting class in the nation," Ladd said. "It is kind of like a sigh of relief that part's over with. This year's chemistry is so much better compared to last year's chemistry."

Glass, who was also the second ranked high school player in 2002, feels like the heat is on now.

"That young class needs to play and behave like they're upper classmen," Rubio said. "They know that it is just something that they have a lot more weight to pull then they would normally."

Rubio believes the Wildcats have "exceptional" talent and that they only need experience and to stay healthy since they are not a deep team.

"We're as talented as any team in the country from a skill standpoint," he said.

Rubio expects the young Wildcats to have a "rocky road," and feels they are not one of the top teams in the country yet.

"We're too young, we're going to be starting primarily freshmen and sophomores, so it's going to be a process through out the next four months," he said.

The team will be tested early and often, facing a schedule that Rubio feels "has to be in the top five."

"The schedule is as good as it has ever been," he said. "We play so many ranked teams and top 10 teams."

The Wildcats' schedule is littered with teams in the 2003 USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll, including No. 1 USC, No. 2 Hawaii, No. 4 Stanford, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 9 UC Santa Barbara, No. 13 UCLA, No. 14 Santa Clara, No. 19 Washington State and No. 24 California. Opponents Miami, Washington, Notre Dame, Eastern Washington and ASU also received votes.

Glass is especially looking forward to the matches with the Trojans and Cardinal, since she had what she called her worst match in her career against eventual champion USC, and Stanford beat the Wildcats in the Elite 8.

"None of these matches you can overlook, because we have such a tough conference," she said. "I believe we have the strongest conference in the United States."

A key to the season is the setter position, where true freshman Stephanie Butkus, one of the top high school setters in the country, is filling in for departed senior setter Laurie Gardner. Rubio calls her his perfect setter, having a good feel for the game, desire, everything but experience.

"The setter position is the most important position on our floor and I think Stephanie, being a freshman, has really handled that responsibility remarkable to this point," Rubio said. "There is so much information that she has to deal with."

Additionally, Rubio has been impressed with fellow freshman middle blocker Kristina Baum and setter Tyler Bowman, calling their play terrific so far. Meghan Cumpston, who redshirted last year, figures into the mix on the outside in her freshman campaign after being the No. 34 ranked frosh in 2002.

Rubio expects sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Abernathy to be the break out player this year and is "very excited about her."

The Wildcats were dealt an unexpected blow in the summer when redshirt sophomore middle blocker Angie Ayers was lost for the season with an injury.

"It really hurt us in a lot of different ways," Rubio said. "She's one of the few players that played all year last year and she would have gave us some great depth and some experience."