TUCSON - Four seniors are competing in their final career regular season matches this week as Arizona heads to Oregon State on Wednesday before hosting Arizona State on Friday for senior day (3 p.m.).
Halli Amaro, Arizona's lone four-year senior, is on pace to leave Arizona as the school's all-time leader in sets played. She has been a part of 79 victories in her career. With two more victories, she will be the winningest player in the last 12 years.
After spending the first three years of their careers elsewhere, three players chose to end their careers in Tucson, and have all made a tremendous impact in their short time in cardinal and navy. Nikki Attea (West Virginia), MacKenzie Kleespies (James Madison) and Anna Panagiotakopoulos (West Virginia) will all be playing their final regular season collegiate matches this week.
#23 ARIZONA AT OREGON STATE
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 25
Time: 8:00 p.m. MST
Location: Corvallis, Ore. (Gill Coliseum)
Stream: pac-12.com/live/oregon-state-university-2
Live Stats: osubeavers.com
Live Updates: Twitter (@ArizonaVBall)
#23 ARIZONA VS. ARIZONA STATE (SENIOR DAY)
Date: Friday, Nov. 27
Time: 3:00 p.m. MST
Location: Tucson, Ariz. (McKale Center)
T.V.: Pac-12 Networks (Darron Sutton, Al Scates)
Live Stats: arizonalivestats.com
Live Updates: Twitter (@ArizonaVBall)
HALLI AMARO
6-1 | MB | Los Alamitos, Calif. (Los Alamitos H.S.)
Arizona's lone four-year senior, has played in 124 matches … On pace to become Arizona's all-time leader in sets played … At the end of the regular season, will have played in more matches than all but two players in school history … Has helped Arizona to 79 victories in her career, one win shy of tying the 2014 senior class and two shy of the 2004 and 2005 classes for the most victories since 2003 (90) … Recently became the seventh player in school history to record 400 blocks … Enters the week five blocks from moving into sixth in Arizona history in total blocks … Currently tied for 10th in school history in hitting percentage (.286) thanks to a career-high .318 hitting percentage this season.
2012
Pac-12 All-Freshman (Honorable Mention)
2015
Arizona Invitational Most Outstanding Player
NIKKI ATTEA
6-3 | OH | East Amherst, N.Y. (West Virginia)
Has had a tremendous impact in her one season in Tucson after transferring from West Virginia … Third on the team in kills (2.56/set) … Leads all pin players in both hitting percentage (.245) and blocks (0.62/set) … Leads the team in aces/set (0.20) … Had a career-high 23 kills on Sunday, helping Arizona to its biggest win of the season, an upset of No. 11 UCLA in McKale in her penultimate contest in McKale Center.
MACKENZIE KLEESPIES
5-10 | DS | Lincoln University, Pa. (James Madison)
Has been a key cog in one of the best floor defensive units in the country … Has appeared in 112 of Arizona's 113 sets this season … Third on the team, averaging 2.5 digs/set … A key piece of the unit that has more digs (1,880) than any team in the Pac-12 … In addition to her defensive efforts, has also served seven aces and is third on the team with 37 assists … Turned in a career best when she dug 22 balls vs. No. 15 Ohio State on Sept. 12.
ANNA PANAGIOTAKOPOULOS
5-6 | DS | Phoenix, Ariz. (West Virginia)
Has been limited to four sets on the season due to injury after transferring from West Virginia … Recorded a dig vs. both Washington and Savannah State … Also dropped an assist vs. No. 3 Washington on Nov. 8.
