When U.S. National Volleyball team outside hitter Caren Kemner steps onto the McKale Center court tomorrow night as the U.S. national team plays Cuba, she will be returning to a stage that she helped define.

While Kemner performed only two years for the Wildcats, her contribution to the Arizona program was invaluable.

"Any time you have a player in your program reach the national level, it gives you more credibility in the eyes of your future recruits," Arizona head coach Dave Rubio said. "This is because most players we recruit have ambitions to play at the national level."

Just two years after leaving the small town of Quincy, Ill., to play at Arizona, Kemner was put in one of the most difficult decisions an athlete can face, when she had to decide if she should leave school early.

"I enjoyed going to Arizona, but when I saw the opportunity to perform nationally, I thought that I might want to consider that option seriously," Kemner said. "Because the national team had disbanded the old draft in 1984, they had some openings, and I decided to give it a try."

So Kemner, a second-team All-American and first-team all-conference pick at Arizona, found herself on the bottom of the totem pole once more.

"My transition was extremely rough, especially because I was just 19 going on 20," Kemner said. "There was also a good deal of pressure put on me because I was young and had what would be classified as a natural talent.

"It pretty much took a good five years to get up to speed with the world competition. And now, I've pretty much blocked out the first seven years of my national career."

While these years might not have equaled her expectations, Kemner did have a certain amount of success. In the 1988 Olympics, Kemner opened the world's eyes to her ability as she compiled 66 kills, 18 blocks and passed a team-leading 119 serves in five matches.

And while they team did not receive a medal, Kemner had proven she had the ability to compete on the international level.

"In the first Olympics that you participate in, you are so wrapped up in the festivities that it is tough to focus on what you have to do to win," Kemner said. "In 1988, our average experience was two years, and on the national level, it takes a team five to seven years to get up to where everyone else is."

By 1992, Kemner had established herself as one of the elite women's volleyball players in the world. She was named Federation Internationle de Volleyball most valuable player, and most outstanding player in the 1991 World Cup, where the United States qualified for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

"Caren came in with a great amount of talent, but she has really developed into a total player," U.S. head coach Terry Liskevych said.

Now that Kemner looks back on her achievements, one of the highlights has been being named to the Arizona Hall of Fame in 1992.

"It was a shock when it happened because I didn't think I was at Arizona long enough to be nominated. I just wish I could have taken part more in the process," Kemner said.