Things are about to get a little more difficult for the No. 14 Arizona volleyball team (8-2) as it begins Pacific 10 Conference play - the most competitive volleyball in the nation - at Stanford today at 7 p.m.
"It's been so long since we've had everyone on (the team)," said UA head coach Dave Rubio, noting the return of outside hitters Kim Glass and Meghan Cumpston. "With everyone back after four weeks, it's looks like a completely different team."
No. 12 Stanford (7-2) took home the Wildcat Classic championship last weekend in Evanston, Ill., defeating Western Kentucky, Villanova and Northwestern. The Cardinal are led by senior Ogonna Nnamani, named American Volleyball Coaches Association and Pacific 10 Conference Player of the Week after averaging 6.2 kills, 1.2 digs and one block per game while hitting .533 on 107 attacks.
Nnamani also leads the team in kills (5.2), digs (2) and blocks (0.7), while freshman setter Bryn Kehoe has 12 assists and 2.8 digs per game.
Kehoe's reputation precedes her, as the Wildcats are already acquainted with the strengths of the Cardinal team.
"I know that Stanford has their freshman setter," said UA freshman setter Amy Dyck. "So it could be shaky with that just because if the setter goes down, the team is kind of thrown off."
Arizona will finally be playing at full strength as Glass, a two-time All-American, and Cumpston will both travel and compete on the road trip. Glass was sidelined with a shoulder injury while nausea, severe headaches and fatigue kept Cumpston from joining the team in Washington, D.C., last weekend.
"(Glass is) not real sharp yet," Rubio said of Arizona's strongest offensive weapon. "It was great to have her out there swinging. She's not going to be as sharp as she can be."
The Wildcats are 5-43 in the all-time series against the Cardinal, with Arizona's most recent loss coming Oct. 30 in Stanford, Calif. Arizona is 1-24 at the Cardinal's home court, Maples Pavilion. Maples is currently under renovation, with completion expected for December, forcing the Cardinal to play home games in Burnham Pavilion instead.
Despite the record, Arizona remains confident that it can rewrite history and even the score between the two teams.
"Since everybody has been injured and everything like that, you'd think that team chemistry would be off," Dyck said. "But everyone today came back and was playing really well together and looks really good."
Arizona continues its road trip tomorrow night as it takes on No. 16 California (5-3) at 7.