The No. 20 Arizona volleyball team had a chance last weekend to give head coach Dave Rubio a place in the history books as the winningest coach in program history.
But judging by how nonchalant Rubio was before the Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara, Calif. - where Arizona took two out of three matches - he likely wasn't too upset that the milestone would have to wait a week.
"Right now (you) try to win every game you can," he said before the tournament. "(The record) just shows that I've had a lot of good players play for me and a pretty good coaching staff."
The Wildcats (5-1) have another chance today to earn the honor for Rubio as they take on Connecticut (4-3) at 10 a.m. and host Rhode Island (5-4) at 4 p.m. in the Rhode Island Invitational. The tournament concludes tomorrow at 9 a.m. when Arizona faces off against North Carolina (3-4).
Rubio currently has 258 career wins at Arizona, tying him with Rosie Wegrich, who collected a 258-229-9 record from 1977 to 1991.
Rubio said that good recruiting and player development is a key to the success of the Arizona program, which has earned 11 NCAA Tournament berths during Rubio's 13-year tenure.
"I think it's easy to identify the great recruits, but it's all the things that you do once you identify those recruits that determine whether or not you have a shot at them," he said. "If you give me a successful coach, I'll give you a coach who's got really good players."
Two-time All-American Kim Glass said it was Rubio's honesty that drew her to Arizona.
"He told (me), 'You're not going to play your first year,'" said the senior outside hitter. "Everyone (else) was telling me I'm going to start my first year. I liked that. I liked the fact that he challenged me."
Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood said he agreed that Rubio is able to attract some of the nation's top recruits and added that he possesses the necessary principles for the job.
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"Dave Rubio is first and foremost a terrific person to have around young people," Livengood said. "The fact that he's a good coach is an absolute bonus. He has the right values to have around young people. If it sounds like I'm pretty high on him, I am."
In his second year at Arizona, Rubio rejected an offer to coach at his alma mater, Cal State Northridge, and said that the decision was not a difficult one.
"It's apples and oranges when you're talking about Cal State Northridge and U of A," he said. "They were in a transition and forming into a conference at that time. There were just too many unknowns going in there for me. I didn't have enough time to try to establish a program here (at Arizona)."
Rubio said he hopes to conclude his coaching career at Arizona.
"UA is one of the top five jobs in the country," he said. "I never really foresee myself leaving U of A. If I leave, it would be to retire from coaching, not to take another job."
Rubio and his Wildcats will likely reach the milestone this weekend, as Connecticut, Rhode Island and North Carolina are all unranked.
With junior setter Stephanie Butkus sidelined with a knee injury, Rubio said this tournament will give Arizona an opportunity to become more comfortable with sophomore setter Amy Dyck leading the offense.
"I think that given the circumstances we're in right now, with the transition going from Stephanie to Amy, this is a good tournament for us not to play a really tough, upper-echelon type of schedule," Rubio said. "But it's good for us to go in and allow Amy to get her feet under her."
Glass said that the team has learned from last week's four-game battle with Fresno State not to underestimate an opponent.
"Teams like Connecticut, they're not ranked, so what do they have to lose?" she said. "We have way more to lose than they would. I expect them to come out just like Fresno State did and just come out with a lot of heart and just play to win (with) no fear.
"We have to go out there and prove that we are that much better than them and this is why we are ranked. A lot of times I think we just stoop down to their level."