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Technology, social media and scouting services have made the college recruiting process much simpler than it used to be.

So when ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ volleyball coach Dave Rubio received a call about two high school players from their high school coach, it seemed, well, a little old-school.

Rubio was nonetheless intrigued. He traveled to Edwards Air Force Base in California to watch a match in person.

Those two under-the-radar players turned out to be UA junior Devyn Cross and redshirt sophomore Liz Shelton.

They played high school volleyball at Desert Junior-Senior High School. The school had a total enrollment of 600 for both junior high and high school. The girls’ graduating class was 91 people strong.

Cross said there was “absolutely no exposure� to college programs in the Mojave Desert.

“I went to a public school on a military base. No coach is going to come out to the desert to see that,â€� said Cross, a junior middle blocker who will lead the Wildcats into Thursday night’s Pac-12 opener against rival ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State. “For us, if you wanted to be seen, you had to send your stuff out and I didn’t know how to do that. My coach said, ‘You have the potential to play in college, so let’s see what we can do.’â€�

It didn’t take Rubio long to see that both players were Division I caliber.

Cross was “an extraordinary athlete; in the top 1 percent of all athletes,� said Rubio. “She has speed, quickness and jumping ability.�

The 6-foot tall Cross didn’t play volleyball until high school, and only then, it was because she was intrigued after watching her best friend play in a summer league.

Cross loved the game’s simplicity.

“When you block a ball and that ball goes straight down, you did that,� she said. “You completely took away all chances that they had of scoring a point. It gets you really hyped. Once you get that first really good block, you want to keep getting more.�

Cross had some concerns about coming to the UA. Cross was born on base in Okinawa, Japan, and grew up at Edwards. She hadn’t experienced life off base until she moved to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.

“I honestly didn’t know about anything else,� Cross said. “One thing I learned at an early age being a military child was to be independent. You have expectations at a really young age. The discipline sets in. My parents were understanding and still let me be a kid, yet there were still rules and discipline. And, I was in ROTC in high school. So following rules is what I do. It’s what I know.�

One of her biggest lessons she carries with her is following directions and doing things right the first time — which helps her as a volleyball player and is something her coaches like. She is always trying to please, integrates new tactics and never fights them on things.

Cross has led the Wildcats in blocks the last two seasons and is on track to do it again this season. She was named MVP of last weekend’s Wildcat Classic, leading the team with 18 blocks. She already has 49 this season.

“This year she is a lot more balanced,� said Rubio.

“When she’s taking off and reading the setter is much better. It allows her to have a fraction of a quicker step. In blocking it happens so quickly, so fractions of seconds make a difference.�

Cross works on fine-tuning her skills with one-handed blocking drills, and makes sure her shoulders are square and parallel to the net. When Cross misses a block, she asks assistant coach Rita Stubbs if her hand was facing out of bounds, if was her arm was off the net or if she was late — all with the goal of improving.

Shelton, Cross’ high school and UA teammate, has seen her grow over the years.

“When she’s out there, she is determined,� Shelton said. “So, when you make a blocking mistake or it’s just a good play by that hitter, you constantly look to improve. That’s why she’s so good. It’s not just about getting that block or a good stop, it’s about constantly making those adjustments. And, that’s where success comes from. Having that mentality that success is never that finite thing; you have to keep pushing that envelope every time.

“We’ve both matured since then (high school). And that comes from not just skills, but how you conduct yourself on the court. Devyn has a better sense of herself and what she can do. She’s seen what she can do and more. It’s always nice to find out you can do something you didn’t expect to be able to do.�