Arizona volleyball will be on the court in front of fans in just two days. The players have already had the opportunity to meet the fans and set the tone for the season.
The Wildcats had their first Bump, Set, Spike event on Tuesday evening in preparation for Saturday’s Red-Blue Scrimmage. Earlier in the day, head coach Rita Stubbs and players Carlie Cisneros and Brenna Ginder met virtually with the Big 12 crew to talk about the upcoming season.
The Opening Set virtual media day was held for the second
straight year. Stubbs said that there was discussion about holding the event in-person in Provo this season, but they got short on time. She hopes they can do it live next year.
The big question for everyone is who is going to pick up the scoring this season after the departure of Jordan Wilson. That question is likely why Arizona was projected to finish 10th in the 15-team league a year after finishing in a four-way tie for sixth with a 10-8 conference record.
“Jordan Wilson carried a large load for us last year, and then Carlie was next on the list in terms of the number of swings,” Stubbs said at the Big 12 Opening Set event. “What I like about this group is we’re more mature than we were last year, which means we have the ability to spread the ball around. We have the ability to say we can play on the right side, left side, as well as the middle, and that’s how you become a well-balanced team and be able to compete at the highest level.”
Cisneros will play a big role on the left side. At this point, Stubbs said she and transfer Destiny Ndam-Simpson have “owned the left side.” Payton Woods is pushing to be part of that mix, but Stubbs would like to see her cut down on her errors.
The other pin is what’s most exciting for Stubbs. Returner Britt Carlson and transfer Kennedy Osunsanmi have been separating themselves at the opposite position.
“The area where the biggest difference is the right side,” Stubbs said. “Kennedy and Britt are going at it every single day, and both of them are hitting in the 200s every practice, which is a good thing.”
The middles should have some offensive impact, as well. Stubbs stressed that they’re not just “middle blockers but middle attackers.” She likes that freshman Marina Vosloo and transfer Kristen Dear can run the slide, and that both Journey Tucker and Maya Flemister are able to score even if it’s not as varied as the other two.
The defense and serve receive are both coming along. She noted that junior Brenna Ginder is being pushed by freshman Gigi Whann, which was expected when Whann committed. Those two are the primary competition for starting libero. Sophomore Brookelyn Hatton plays strong defense and will likely see more time on the court this season. The expectation is that passing and floor defense will be strengths this season.
“We’re gearing up to be one of the better passing teams in the in the conference this year, and then increase our dig number if our block number doesn’t go up,” associate head coach Ryan Windisch said.
The question is about who will get the ball to the attackers. Arizona is replacing two-year starter Avery Scoggins at setter. She was an all-conference selection last year, which is another reason Stubbs was not surprised that the team was picked in the bottom half of the league.
Transfers Maria Olga ‘Mo’ Siapani and Harmony Sample are fighting to replace Scoggins, but it’s an area that is still coming together as players get used to each other. They also have some things they need to account for if the 5-foot-8 Siapani wins out.
“We got to get better in the setting area just in terms of being consistent,” Stubbs said. “But it’s nice that you have two setters that play defense that are going for it. Mo is small, but she’s actually not that small at the net. But we know that they’re going to run balls at her because why wouldn’t they?”
The group will get on the floor in their Red-Blue Scrimmage on Saturday at 2 p.m. MST. The teams were split up to be more equal rather than putting all the presumed starters or all the returners on one side.
The Red Team consists of Siapani (S), Ginder (L), Whann (DS), Dear (MB), Osunsanmi (OPP), Ndam-Simpson (OH), Vosloo (MB), Hayden Reeder (OH), and Renee Jones (OPP). The Blue counters with Sample (S), Flemister (MB), Carlson (OPP), Cisneros (OH), Hatton (L), Tucker (MB), Woods (OH), and Shea Davis (DS).
Notes
The present isn’t the only thing Stubbs discussed on Tuesday. She talked about honoring the past, recruiting, and what she hopes for in the future.
- Wildcat great Madi Kingdon Rishel will be inducted into the Ring of Honor on Oct. 2 before the Iowa State match. Stubbs said that they will also induct one other alumna but are still trying to schedule her return, so she has not been announced yet.
- Stubbs said that assistant coach Ryan Ammerman was able to go overseas to recruit this summer and the Wildcats have one more player who will sign in November. The coaches can’t name a recruit until she signs, but a little poking around indicated that the commit is 6-foot Belgian opposite Ayiana Hall. The 17-year-old has played for Topsportschool Vilvoorde and currently plays for VC Oudegem. She played for Belgium in the 2025 FIVB Girls’ U19 World Championships where she averaged 3.78 points per match in nine matches. She took her official visit to Arizona last week. Hall joins U.S. high schoolers Asia Udo-Ema (OH), Tinsley Welker-Browne (S), Nylah Bibby (L/DS), and Londyn Pope (MB) in the 2027 class.
- Stubbs believes Arizona volleyball will someday be part of the revenue sharing scene. To get there, she is imploring fans to buy season tickets and support the program to show that it is worthy of being included. She knows how much impact rev share would have on her ability to recruit and retain players, especially when she’s recruiting against several programs that have it. She’s pushing for Arizona to be fourth in the Big 12 in attendance after finishing sixth last season, noting how former women’s basketball head coach Adia Barnes dramatically improved attendance at Arizona by being accessible and improving the product on the floor.
- Stubbs does not love having her team on the road for the entire month of September, but she had difficulty getting teams to come to Tucson—especially the kind of teams the Wildcats need to play if they’re going to get into the tournament each year. She said she even had problems filling the one home tournament Arizona is hosting this year because most of the better teams are no longer playing three matches a weekend in nonconference and most want to be home during September in order to prepare for league play.
