CLAIRE C. LAURENCE/Arizona Daily Wildcat Freshman Tyler Bowman dives for a touch during UA's 3-1 loss to the USC Lady Trojans last Friday at McKale Center.

Any computer rankings, and they will not have to sweat it out as a bubble team on selection Sunday.

All they will need to do is win.

With a 4-6 record against top- 10 teams, including a win over No. 4 Pepperdine, and two wins over No. 8 UCLA, and No. 9 California and after playing No. 1 USC and No. 2 Hawaii tough, the Wildcats have an impeccable resumŽ for the Big Dance - needing only to actually qualify to have their dance card punched. In order to be eligible for the NCAA tournament, teams need to be over .500 for the season, meaning that the UA needs to win four of its last five matches.

"No question. That's four top-10 teams now that we've beaten," said UA head coach Dave Rubio about whether or not his team will get in if it finishes with a winning record. "The other thing that the committee looks at is tournament history and we have some pretty strong tournament history. I'm positive that we'll go."

The UA has been to the Sweet 16 every year since 1999, has been to three Elite Eights in a row and went to the Final Four in 2001.

The committee also likes hot teams, and Arizona has swept five of its last seven conference matches and won six of its last 10, losing only to the Trojans, Rainbow Wahine and No. 7 Stanford.

To get in, the UA would need to upset either No. 11 Washington or No. 21 UC Santa Barbara - assuming the Wildcats handle Pacific-10 Conference basementdweller Oregon, seventh-place Oregon State and eighth-place Washington State.

The Wildcats would also finish fifth or sixth in what is widely regarded as the best conference in the land. Last year, the "Conference of Champions" had eight teams in the tournament, four in the Sweet 16, two in the Final Four and boasts the last two champions. This year, the Pac-10 has a .724 winning percentage against other conferences and has had five teams in the top 10 at times during the season.

"The Wildcats have finally found their groove and are playing as well as anyone right now, and I fully expect them to get to the NCAA tournament," wrote Pac-10.org's volleyball columnist Cathy Nelson Friday.

Top Idaho prospect commits to Cats

After getting the top-ranked recruiting class last year and the No. 12 class this season, it looks like the Wildcats will have another strong class after Idaho prep star Amy Dyck committed last week. Dyck, the 2002-03 Gatorade Idaho High School Volleyball Player of the Year, has a chance to make it official today on National Signing Day.

Dyck was a four-year starter at Sandpoint High School. After her team won the state title her freshman year, Dyck led them to back-to-back titles the past two seasons, including an undefeated year in 2003.

Dyck, who was ranked as the 17th best player in the country before the season, picked the Wildcats over traditional volleyball power Stanford.

"Stanford is a great school, but it basically came down to which program I'm more comfortable with," Dyck told the Bonner County Daily Bee in Idaho. "Arizona just fit better for me."

Last year, on the first day of the early signing period, the Wildcats had three of their five freshmen sign letters of intent: setter Stephanie Butkus, opposite hitter Kristina Baum and redshirting middle blocker Enobong Ibok.

"We hope to sign two players (today)," Rubio said. "We won't be here to really make the formal announcement, but we hope the two players we've been talking to will sign their letters."

Second time's a charm for Cats against Pac-10

Since their 0-5 start in the Pac-10, the Wildcats have had much better results in the second meetings against conference foes.

Arizona avenged a 3-2 loss to ASU, in which they blew a 2-0 lead to the Sun Devils, with a 3-0 win in Tucson. The Wildcats similarly rebounded from getting swept by Cal earlier in the year by sweeping the Golden Bears in Berkeley. The UA also fared better against Stanford, swept UCLA after losing a game to the Bruins earlier in the season and won a game against USC after being blown out in Los Angeles.

Provided that this trend continues, as Arizona has more kills, fewer errors and a higher hitting percentage the second time around, the rest of the schedule bodes well for the Wildcats. They face the Oregon schools, which they swept, but they also meet once more with the Washington schools and Cal-Santa Barbara - all teams they lost to the first time around.

Raising Arizona: Cats near top-25 ranking

In the latest USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll, Arizona has moved up to the fringe of the top 25 with 49 votes, being listed as the 28th-ranked team.

As for the other Pac-10 teams in the poll, USC remained the top-ranked team in the nation, Stanford moved up to No. 7 from No. 8, UCLA dropped to No. 8 from No. 6 after being swept by the UA last week, Cal stayed No. 9 despite losing at the Cardinal in the "Big Spike" and Washington remained No. 11.

Rubio Bowl, Part IV

More than just the UA's tourney hopes are riding on the matchup at Oregon, as Rubio will try to remain perfect in Pac-10 play against his brother.

After two wins last year against Oregon and one this year, Dave is 3-0 against his brother Keith.