Volleyball team looking for a balanced effort in first game

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat UA volleyball players Marisa DaLee (12), a redshirt freshman, and senior Stephanie Venne (8) go up for a block during practice earlier this week.

She has grown accustomed to setting the ball to the left side for Barb Bell, but since Bell's departure last season, no one has developed into Arizona's premier attacking threat.

As a result, Ebben will have the liberty of distributing the ball to everyone when No. 20 Arizona opens its season tomorrow at the Carolina Classic in Columbia S.C.

"We're a lot more balanced," she said. "Our hitting is more spread out and even. We have awesome right sides, middles and left side hitters."

The Wildcats play two matches Saturday at the Volleyball Competition Center before returning to Tucson for a seven-match homestand. They play Oklahoma at 11 a.m. and South Carolina at 7 p.m. in their first of three consecutive tournaments. Arizona was scheduled to play Grambling tonight until the Tigers withdrew themselves out of the tournament.

Saturday's matches tie the Wildcats' earliest opener ever. Arizona began 1991's season Aug. 30 with a win over Miami-Ohio.

"You'd always like to get another week or two but (the players) are all eager to get in the heat of competition," said coach Dave Rubio, who is beginning his sixth season at Arizona.

"I feel we're pretty talented but we have deficiencies as any team does. Passing the ball well will be our number one focus."

Aside from a balanced attack, Arizona has good depth and the starting lineup may change from game to game because many of Arizona's reserves have showed Rubio that they deserve playing time as well. He said redshirt freshman Marisa DaLee dominated the middle blocker position last week and Tatisha Ely, another redshirt freshman, and junior Keisha Johnson įshined during practice this week.

"It's one of those years of who is playing well at the time and playing consistently. The players understand that everyone is not going to play as much as they want, but the bottom line is let's win," Rubio said.

Arizona has five starters returning from last season. Seniors Stephanie Venne, Michelle Fanger, Carrie Penfield, Ebben, sophomore Erin Aldrich and freshman Allison Napier are slated to start this weekend.

The Sooners and Gamecocks, who are also opening their seasons this weekend, prove to be less intimidating than Pacific 10 Conference foes. Oklahoma, who returns five starters from their 17-15 team last season, is unranked while South Carolina is 38th in the nation.

"We need to maintain our focus as much as if we're playing a Pac-10 team. It's harder to get pumped up for these games," Penfield said.

The Gamecocks are returning all of their starters and finished last season second in the South Eastern Conference behind Florida with a 22-8 mark.

"Our girls are primarily from the East and North...but they're familiar with Arizona," South Carolina's coach Kim Hudson said.

In fact, Trina Smith, South Carolina's assistant coach, played for Rubio at UA in the early nineties. Smith also teamed with current UA assistant Charita Johnson during her years at Arizona.

"Dave and I know each other and he's always done a good job where he's at. I know there's a lot of respect there with what he's done and (my players) know that too," Hudson said.

Rubio, however, is not ready to dismiss either team.

"Both teams are very good. You kind of put Pac-10 teams in a different arena but these teams have a lot on the line playing us," he said. "They can make a lot of noise by beating us."