CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Outside hitter Kim Glass (left) and middle blocker Bre Ladd attempt to block a shot during Saturday's game against California.

Apparently Lute Olson isn't a big volleyball fan.

The big losers in men's basketball head coach Lute Olson's decision to not hold a Midnight Madness this year appear not to be the fans who are craving a slam-dunk contest or a rusty scrimmage, but actually the volleyball team, which is undefeated (4-0) in matches held before the event.

The Wildcats have twice had record crowds at Pacific 10 Conference volleyball matches held right before Midnight Madness. And of those, they've lost only two games, both last year when Arizona rallied from down 0-2 to beat No. 4 Stanford ÷ the defending national champions ÷ in five games before a record 9,141 fans.

"It's kind of disappointing to not have Midnight Madness, because last year was really exciting," said sophomore outside hitter Kim Glass. "I know the fans didn't come for us, but it was still great having that many people in the stands sitting there supporting us when we start winning. But if the coach says that they need that practice and it helps them get better, then I'm all for it."

The match last year broke the previous Pac-10 attendance record set in 2000, when the UA hosted No. 4 USC, with 7,298 who watched the Wildcats win 3-0.

"I'm kind of disappointed, especially for us, because they usually play after us. So we push our game back and get a good crowd," said junior middle blocker Jolene Killough.

UA head coach Dave Rubio said the team will be fine and still hopes for a big crowd for the match against Oregon State, which will be televised.

"I think the team responds well when they play in front of big crowds; it was evident last year when we had close to 10,000 people in the stands and beat Stanford," Rubio said.

Last year, thanks to the Stanford match, the UA finished ranked seventh in the nation in attendance, with 29,439 fans passing through the turnstiles ÷ both school records. With the match against the Cardinal not averaged in, the UA would have fallen to 13th in attendance.

Former Wildcat Shannon Torregrosa, who played in three Midnight Madness matches, said that you "play out of your mind" in the matches, particularly last year against the eventual NCAA runner-up.

"It just felt great to go out there and play at the top of our game and have the gym packed," Torregrosa said.

Glass agreed.

"It was crazy. It was so awesome because our fans were so ecstatic when we started coming back," Glass said. "I wish we could have that many people there all the time."