At various times throughout the season, Arizona volleyball head coach Dave Rubio has mentioned competitiveness and how to foster it in his players. He saw some of his best players not playing at the level they had in previous seasons and needed a way to help them get back to where they were.
With the season not progressing as the players and coaches had hoped, he decided to make a change in how the team determines starting lineups, especially for outside hitters and defensive specialists. Enter the practice analytical system known as the competitive cauldron.
“The biggest reason is because we were having trouble having any kind of offense with Puk [Stubbe] and with Sofia [Maldonado Diaz],” Rubio said.