PALO ALTO - Nineteenth-ranked Arizona took No. 7 Stanford to four sets, but was unable to take down the Cardinal as Stanford defeated Arizona 25-22, 19-25, 25-18, 25-14.
“I thought we played well in the beginning,” said head coach Dave Rubio. “But we weren't able to rise to the occasion when Stanford started to play better.”
After ending the second set on a 6-0 run, the Cats led Stanford 13-9 in the third, firmly in control of the match's momentum. From that point on, Stanford outscored Arizona 41-19.
“Stanford started to serve better,” said Rubio of the turning point in the match. “We weren't able to handle (Hayley) Hodson's serve and that changed the whole complexion of the match. Momentum swung to their side and we weren't able to recover.”
The Cats were limited to just .107 hitting, including a -.047 figure in the fourth set.
Arizona outblocked Stanford in the contest 10.5-9.5, led by Nikki Attea's season-high-tying five. However the Cardinal registered 15 more kills than Arizona (57-42). Three Cardinal – Hayley Hodson (15), Brittany Howard (13) and Merete Lutz (12) – posted double-digit kill totals. Meanwhile, Kalei Mau (13) and Tyler Spriggs (11) combined for 24 of Arizona's 42 kills. Both hit under .100 for the match.
Laura Larson led Arizona's defensive efforts, notching 18 kills to lead the way.
Penina Snuka grabbed the Pac-12 lead with her 13th double-double of the season. The junior recorded 35 assists to go along with 13 digs.
Arizona battled in the first set, evening the Cardinal through 40 points at 20-20, but Stanford surged at the end, winning 25-22.
Arizona raced out to an early lead in the second, leading the Cardinal 12-8 out of the gate. Stanford came back to tie the set at 19 before Arizona ended the set on a 6-0 run to win the set 25-19.
The Cats carried that momentum into the third, taking an early 13-9 lead. The Cardinal, however, closed the set on a 16-5 run to take the third set 25-18.
A 3-0 Arizona run tied the fourth set at nine points in the fourth before Stanford exerted its dominance, going on a 9-1 run to take command of the set. Stanford went on to win the set 25-14.
Up Next: The Wildcats look to get back on track against Cal on Sunday at 2 p.m. MST in Berkeley. Arizona defeated Cal in four sets earlier in the season, but the Bears have won three of their last four while Arizona has lost four of its last five.
Follow Arizona Volleyball: For further coverage of Arizona volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts (@ArizonaVBall).
