By Ron Parsons
Arizona Daily Wildcat
As the Arizona volleyball team
prepared last week for two im
portant Pacific 10 Conferences matches against the Oregon schools, senior setter Laura Bartsch had a lot on her mind.
Heading into the matches, Bartsch was just 47 assists away from breaking the UA career assist record of 3,517 held by Heather McCormack (1989-92). Teammates and media had Bartsch, who admittedly tries to ignore statistics, thinking about the mark.
In Saturday's win over the Oregon Ducks, Bartsch broke the record, tallying 38 assists to up her total to 3,537.
"I'm pleased," she said, "but I think I played really nervous. Everyone was worried about the record, which made me worry about it."
The record-breaking assist came in the third game, on a cross-court pass to junior outside hitter Heidi Bomberger. It was perhaps fitting that Bomberger recorded the kill, as the two are close friends and attended high school together.
"It's a great way to finish off her senior year," Coach David Rubio said. Rubio does not foresee the record being broken anytime soon. He said it is uncommon for a setter to play in as many matches as Bartsch has in just four years.
"This one, I think, is going to stand for a long time," he said.
Bartsch, true to form, gave her teammates credit for the accomplishment.
"I couldn't do it without my teammates. They're the ones who get the kills," she said.
She also said playing at McKale Center was a factor.
"Playing in our own house gives us a lot of confidence," she said.
And confidence is something Bartsch should have.
Just think about it Ÿ in her 31/2
years of college volleyball, she
has been directly responsible for setting up 3,537 Arizona kills.
That's 3,537 UA shots that never came back over the net. And she still has half of her final season to go. Bartsch has 597 assists in 13 matches this year, good for third in the Pac-10. It's not inconceivable that she could end up with over 4,000 career assists.
A native Tucsonan who attended Sahuaro High School, the 5-foot-7-inch Bartsch said breaking the record wasn't exactly her main focus.
"I haven't even thought about it," Bartsch said before the match. "I guess it will be a good feeling, but it's not something I set out to do."
The first word that comes to mind when contemplating such a record is longevity, and that's something that Bartsch has. She received extensive playing time in 1992 as a freshman and, with few exceptions, has been Arizona's starting setter ever since.
"Laura came into the right situation for her to be in a position to be able to break this record," said Rubio, who took over the UA program in '92. "She was an incoming freshman with a brand new coach who wanted to change the complexion and direction of the team."
Rubio said Bartsch was physically ready to play from the moment she became a Wildcat.
"Knowing that Laura was such a great athlete, and knowing that she had the potential to be a great setter, I was willing to do everything I could to get her into the lineup as a freshman," he said.
In '93, Bartsch was Arizona's lone setter, and she responded by recording the second-best single-season assist mark in Arizona history. She had 1,400 assists, leading the Wildcats to their first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 appearance. Only McCormack, with 1,478 the year before, ever had more assists in a season.
Rubio said being the UA's only setter in '93 helped Bartsch hone her abilities.
"It gave Laura an opportunity to go in and really develop her skills," he said.
Her next year, however, was a little more trying. After a five-game losing skid late in the '94 season, Rubio benched Bartsch in favor of Michaela Ebben, then a freshman. Ebben started several matches before Bartsch reclaimed the setting duties and again led the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen.
The incident highlighted the tension between coach and setter, a tension which has since dissipated this season. Both Rubio and Bartsch agree that they haven't always seen to eye-to-eye, but both also say that whatever conflicts they might have had have disappeared with time.
"Laura and I have had somewhat of a tumultuous relationship," Rubio said, "but my relationship with Laura as you see it now is the best it's ever been since I've been here."
"It's been hard at times," Bartsch said. "I'm a stubborn person, but I've grown up a lot, and Dave has changed a lot."
Bomberger, who has known Bartsch since she was 9 years old, said this season has definitely been Bartsch's best.
"She has the best attitude this year, and I feel like she's carrying quite a load for our team," Bomberger said. "She has helped me a lot with my performance. She's bettering her teammates, which is something she needs to be complemented for."
Rubio said Bartsch has been more vocal in being a team leader this season, an attribute he wishes she would display more often.
On Sept. 24, in a match against Washington, Bartsch was benched for the second game. With Arizona down 0-2, Rubio reinserted Bartsch into the lineup in the hopes she would lead the team out if its funk. Behind Bartsch, the Wildcats rallied for a five-game comeback win.
"She was a huge influence on the outcome of that match," Rubio said. "She, at times, can really take over a match when she's in that frame of mind."
Bartsch agreed that this season she has been more focused on being a leader and executing.
"This year, I had it in my mind just to play," she said. "I just want to make this year my best. I don't want to have any negatives."