To say this season has been full of adjustments would be an understatement. After losing six players due to graduation and transfer that combined for 737 sets played last year, Head Coach Dave Rubio and his staff have had to quickly usher in a new generation of Wildcats, including a Pac-12-leading 13 underclassmen.

Despite the challenges of coaching a roster with only two seniors in a gruelingly competitive Pac-12 conference, Rubio and his team have already pulled off a couple of impressive victories, including a road sweep of ASU on Sept. 21 and a home sweep over No. 15 USC on Oct. 6.  

ArizonaWildcats.com took a few minutes to talk with Coach Rubio about the challenges of replacing last year's leadership, the team's victory over USC, and the bright future of his young core.

What do you think your team did differently against USC? 

"It certainly reinforces what we've been doing in practice, and the messages we've been sending to the players almost daily about the process. We're just trying to get better. It's nice to get reinforced by that win. That's behind us now, though, and it's time to focus on (the upcoming home match on Friday, Oct. 13 against Utah)."

How have you developed new leaders and chemistry after losing six players from last season's roster?

"It's been difficult. There was definitely a vacuum left by that group, which is pretty normal. I actually talked to the team a couple of weeks ago about what we lost, and how we replace the things that we lost. The players have been very good about responding to those kinds of questions. I think it just takes time for players to establish new roles. We're in the midst of that process."

How well has Julia Patterson filled in the obvious void left by All-American setter Penina Snuka?

"Julia's been terrific. If there was somebody that was going to feel the pressure of a loss, it would have been her. She's really handled it well. Penina was a great mentor for her, and really helped her along. Julia, just because of the kind of person and player she is, really relishes the role that she has. She's a tough kid, and she really understands setting. I'm really pleased with where she's at in her career so far."

What has stood about the younger core of your team thus far?

"The exciting thing for me is that everyday we get in the gym I know we're getting better. When you have talented young ladies like we do, everyday is an opportunity for them to advance their game. To me, that's the exciting part of it. They're motivated, and they want to do well. Despite the losses that we've had, and the inconsistencies we've experienced throughout the season, I think that they've been really good about practicing, working hard and improving. For me, that's what it's all about this year. We'll have our fair share of wins and losses, but I know that for us the key is our day-to-day practice habits. If we come in and work at the level yhat we're capable of working at, we'll continue to get better and put ourselves in a position to win sets like we did last Friday (against USC)."

What is the biggest key to remaining competitive in the Pac-12 and pulling off more upsets like the one against USC?

"The key for us is understanding the process. We lost four matches in a row, but if we can avoid the pitfalls emotionally of getting too wrapped up in any one game, or number of games, you can become less emotionally involved in the process. That's what we have to guard against. Once you lose that emotional commitment to the team and to the process, then the development stops and you actually start going backwards. That's a key element for us, the kids being engaged regardless of the outcome. If we do that, because we have so much talent, then our future looks really bright and we'll continue to do more frequently what happened last Friday against USC."