蜜柚直播

Some of it is athletes understanding more about the system that the Wildcats鈥� second-year coach Rita Stubbs has implemented.

Some of it is Stubbs adding the right assistants, a top-rated freshman class and strong transfers.

It鈥檚 also because of some new tactics and strategy.

But most of it comes down to something simple: just really wanting to win.

鈥淚 feel like we鈥檙e angry, but in a positive direction; we鈥檙e very motivated; we鈥檙e driven,鈥� Ava Tortorello said at the Bump, Set and Spike event at the Sands Club on Tuesday night.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 come to 蜜柚直播 to not make it to the tournament, and I told the girls that. 鈥� I think we鈥檙e all very motivated and driven, and that鈥檚 what makes our team culture so good. This year is different than any other year that I鈥檝e been here, and it鈥檚 really exciting. We鈥檙e all definitely hungry for more.鈥�

Tortorello, who was sporting a boot on her left leg on Tuesday night said it was an injury to her foot and she hoped to be back on the court soon, has played a part in this program鈥檚 turnaround. The team has already won more matches than did all last season, when it went just 8-23.

The Wildcats, who are averaging more than 1,800 fans per match this season, are a perfect 10-0 after beating North Dakota State on Thursday night (25-19, 25-20, 25-22) at the Wildcat Classic. They play Southern Utah on Saturday at noon at McKale Center, in the final nonconference contest of the season. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Saturday will feature pre-match activities for kids and afterward, there will be a youth clinic for players in sixth grade and younger.

蜜柚直播鈥檚 10-0 start is its best in 15 years. In 2009, it began 12-0, including winning the Pac-10 season opener over then-No. 13 USC. The Wildcats were ranked No. 19 at the time.

This year鈥檚 team isn鈥檛 receiving any votes yet in the Top 25 poll, but a strong start to Big 12 conference play could push the Wildcats up the rankings after they were just 3-17 in Pac-12 play last year. This season鈥檚 team is 4-0 at McKale and 6-0 on the road, including beating Alabama and New Mexico State away from 蜜柚直播.

Stubbs said that being hungry and being more competitive as a unit really started to show this summer. Typically, the athletes would come back to 蜜柚直播 for pre-season training a few days before camp starts. This year, every single Wildcat was here in July 鈥� some were even in town by the end of June.

鈥淭hey were hungry, dedicated,鈥� Stubbs said. 鈥淲e had a group of upperclassmen that said, 鈥榊ou guys, let鈥檚 go,鈥� That group of freshmen only know(s) to come into gym and work hard. That made life so much easier, that you have that leadership.鈥�

Tortorello is one of those upperclassmen. She is a senior who has seen nearly everything 鈥� except playing in an NCAA Tournament during her time as a Wildcat 鈥� and is now viewing things from a new position this season, as a defensive specialist/libero or little. The former setter switched roles as it brought her more opportunity to get on the court. She said that now she鈥檚 been 鈥渃ompetitive鈥� in a different way.

It wasn鈥檛 an easy adjustment after years of focusing on another position. Especially, as setter is in her genes; it鈥檚 the same position played by multiple members of her family 鈥� her mom Elizabeth Tortorello-Nelson at Wisconsin, and two aunts, one at Penn State and the another at Boston College. She added that 鈥渁t Christmas, it鈥檚 all college volleyball talk.鈥�

鈥淢y mom has been amazing throughout this all, because she set at Wisconsin, and so obviously I had some pretty big shoes to fill,鈥� Tortorello said. 鈥淪witching from setting to a ds (defensive specialist) was hard on me, because I was like, 鈥極h, I want to be like my mom.鈥欌��

Stubbs said that what makes Tortorello a good fit for one of her four liberos this season is that she is a 鈥渢rue competitor.鈥�

鈥淪he will eat your heart out, and she wants to win,鈥� Stubbs said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 smiling up here (at the Sands Club). She has this boot on her foot, and she wants to play. She knows that she can get after and do it. And as a result, she鈥檚 ... very valuable.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that she would actually say this, but she actually was the libero all last spring. She was competing and going at it. And the reason why she did so well at it is because she just listened to what we asked her to do. She had no hidden agenda. Sometimes, when you have a little bit of knowledge, you hold yourself back.鈥�

Never stop evolving

Stubbs keeps adding to her strategies and tactics as she goes to help everyone, including herself, grow.

These changes have come in different forms, from breaking down the season into five sets 鈥� from training, preseason, first half of conference play, second half of conference play and NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats haven鈥檛 made the NCAA Tournament since 2018.

Stubbs also divided up responsibilities for her assistants. Now, Ryan Windisch, plan practices and Steven Duhoux, who focuses on offense, also is the point person on film.

By doing this, what Stubbs called 鈥済iving power away鈥� enables her to be more open to sharing and receiving help from others. It also means that hers isn鈥檛 the only voice her athletes are hearing every day 鈥� which means they are more receptive and more likely to listen to all coaches on staff.

Another big area of change comes in the area of performance, measuring exertion and jump loads, among other things. Stubbs wanted to understand how hard they were working in practices compared to matches because, as she said, 鈥淭he theory is, (if) you work harder in practice, the match becomes easier.鈥�

Long, tough trip

The Wildcats start Big 12 play Wednesday at No. 22-ranked Baylor. On Friday, they will play at No. 23 TCU. They will be on the road from Tuesday through Saturday. This will be a new road trip experience as in the Pac-12, the Wildcats played on Friday and Sunday and would typically leave the day before 鈥� missing only a few days of classes. Now, missing up to four days of school could be the norm. To get ahead of this, the Wildcats and Stubbs are working closely with their academic counselor and will have study hall on their trips.

A balanced conference

Big 12 teams ranked in the most recent AVCA poll are Kansas (No. 10), 蜜柚直播 State (No. 14), BYU (No. 19), Baylor and TCU. Houston is also receiving votes.