Arizona Volleyball Season In Review
12/21/2015 | Volleyball
ARIZONA VOLLEYBALL 2015 SEASON RECAP
Arizona Wildcats (19-14, 9-11 Pac-12)
SEASON REVIEW: Tasked with replacing its top three scorers from 2014, the 2015 Arizona volleyball team battled adversity and earned the program's fourth straight (and sixth in seven years) berth into the NCAA Tournament, where the Wildcats fell to Western Kentucky in straight sets in Provo, Utah.
Led by an honorable-mention All-America season from Penina Snuka (10.88 assists/set, 3.36 digs/set) and a breakout campaign from Kalei Mau (4.33 kills/set, 528.0 points), the Wildcats posted a 19-14 record on the year, receiving contributions from a plethora of newcomers along the way. Of the 10 Wildcats who played 100 or more sets, just five (Kalei Mau, Halli Amaro, McKenzie Jacobson, Penina Snuka and Laura Larson) were on the team in 2014.
The Cats were paced by their defense as UA led the conference in digs for the third straight year, digging 16.83 balls/set, the fourth best figure in school history. Laura Larson (3.39 digs/set) led the Cats in that department. The junior libero had double-figure digs in each of Arizona's final 16 matches after posting 10-or-more in just seven of Arizona's first 17 matches. Snuka also greatly contributed to Arizona's defensive effort, posting 3.36 digs/set and becoming Arizona's all-time leader in digs by a setter along the way. Three/fourths of the way through her career, the junior has 1,209 digs, fourth most in Arizona history.
For the third straight year, Snuka led the Pac-12 in double-doubles with 22, giving the junior 65 in her career. She also led the conference in total assists with 1,349, seventh-most in Arizona history. The Gilbert, Ariz., native enters her senior year 1,645 assists short of the UA career record. Though Dana Burkholder's 1998-2001 record of 5,424 may be unattainable, Snuka is 1,159 from second place in Wildcat history in career assists. She also enters 2016 433 digs shy of the Arizona career digs record. For reference, Snuka had 417 digs in 2015 (6th in Arizona history) and 453 digs in 2014 (3rd in Arizona history).
2015 saw the end to the career of middle blocker Halli Amaro, a four-year starter and one of the winningest players in Arizona history. Amaro was a part of 80 victories in her career, tied with the 2014 class for the most career victories since the 2005 class won 81. Amaro is the all-time leader in sets played in Arizona history with 454, breaking the record in her final match in an Arizona uniform. The Los Alamitos, Calif., native's 422 career blocks rank sixth in Arizona history. One-year transfer seniors Anna Panagiotakopoulos, MacKenzie Kleespies and Nikki Attea were also invaluable members of the Wildcats in their lone year in Tucson.
Arizona's 19 victories in 2015 came one shy of UA's third straight 20-win season, something Arizona hasn't accomplished since 2000-2002. Still, the 64 victories over the last three years are the most in a three-year span since winning 73 from 2000-2002.
TOP FIVE MOMENTS FROM 2015
1. Arizona takes down No. 11 UCLA in five sets
After valiant efforts came up short in Arizona's first 10 matches against Top 15 teams, the Wildcats finally broke through with a thrilling five-set victory over No. 11 UCLA on Nov. 22 (25-22, 29-27, 25-27, 21-25, 15-10). The Wildcats raced out to an early 2-0 lead and withstood a UCLA comeback that saw the Bruins force a fifth set with their third and fourth-set victories. All five sets were decided by five points or fewer with two requiring deuce to settle. The match featured 212 total digs (easily the most in any Pac-12 match in 2015), including a season-high 27 from Laura Larson. Nikki Attea notched a career-high 23 kills on a .315 hitting percentage and was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
2. Arizona defeats Arizona State on Senior Day
In front of a season-high 3,144 fans in McKale Center, Arizona avenged an early-season loss to the Sun Devils with a decisive four-set victory over ASU (25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21) on senior day. The victory was Arizona's fourth in five tries against its in-state rivals from Tempe. UA used excellent defense - 80 digs and 14 blocks - to limit ASU to an .074 hitting percentage, the second lowest opposing hitting percentage in Pac-12 play for the Cats. Freshman Kendra Dahlke contributed a career-best 13 kills in the absence of all-conference outside hitter Kalei Mau, who missed Arizona's last two matches with a concussion.
3. Arizona selected for third straight NCAA Tournament
Arizona entered Selection Sunday with a "bubblicious" RPI in the 50s, but was rewarded for its 19-13 regular season with a berth into the NCAA Tournament, the program's third straight (and sixth in seven years) trip to the dance.
4. Penina Snuka sets career digs by a setter record
With five digs today, Penina Snuka is now Arizona's all-time leader in digs by a setter! Congrats, Penina! pic.twitter.com/0iJHsuJsbz
— Arizona Volleyball (@ArizonaVBall) November 22, 2015
During Arizona's five-set victory over 11th-ranked UCLA, junior Penina Snuka broke Dana Burkholder's 15-year old digs-by-a-setter record with her 1,147th career dig. Snuka finished the year with 1,209 career digs, fourth in Arizona history, 433 shy of the school record.
5. Halli Amaro wraps up historic career
Halli Amaro celebrated her senior day with a four-set victory over ASU on Nov. 27, helping her to a 5-3 all-time record vs. Arizona State, five of her 80 career-victories at Arizona, making her one of the winningest players in Arizona history. Amaro is the Wildcats' all-time leader in sets played with 454 and one of seven Wildcats to block 400 balls in her career. Amaro finished with 422 total blocks and 354 block assists both the , sixth most in Arizona history.
QUICK HITS
· The Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in Dave Rubio's 24 years (27 overall trips), including three straight and six of the last seven years.
· For the second straight year, Penina Snuka was named an AVCA Honorable Mention All-America. With the honor, Snuka became the fourth player in school history to earn multiple All-America honors, joining Dana Burkholder (2000, 2001, Kim Glass (2002, 2003, 2005) and Madi Kingdon (2013, 2014).
· Penina Snuka and Kalei Mau were named all-Pac-12. Snuka, receiving the honor for the second straight year, finished second in the Pac-12 with 10.88 assists/set and leads the conference with 22 double-doubles. She has led the Pac-12 in double-doubles each of her three seasons. Mau finished third in the conference with 4.33 kills/set. The duo was also named to the AVCA All-Region Team (Snuka - first team; Mau - honorable mention).
· Tyler Spriggs was named to the Pac-12 all-freshman team. Spriggs finished second on the team with 2.63 kills/set.
· Arizona's lone four-year senior Halli Amaro leaves Arizona as the school's all-time leader in sets played (454). Also in 2015, Amaro became the seventh player in Arizona history to surpass 400 career blocks. The senior finished with 422 total blocks, sixth most in Arizona history.
· Amaro was part of 80 victories in her career, tied with the 2014 class for the most since the 2005 class won 81.
· Libero Laura Larson had 16 consecutive double-digit-dig matches to finish the season after posting double-digit digs in just seven of Arizona's first 17 matches. After posting a career-high 27 vs. UCLA, Larson has had more than 20 in each of Arizona's final three regular season matches (27 vs. UCLA, 25 vs. Oregon State, 23 vs. ASU). In the last 16 matches, Larson is averaging 4.32 digs/set compared to 2.29/set in the 17 matches prior.
· After beginning the season 8-0 for the fifth time in school history, Arizona went 11-14 in the final 25 matches, but faced 13 top-20 teams, including eight top-10 clubs, in that span.
· UA finished 18-4 against teams ranked outside of the AVCA top 15 and 1-10 against top-15 teams. Two of Arizona's four losses outside the top 15 are to Colorado, which seems to be a puzzle the Cats can't solve. In the last two seasons, Arizona is 33-3 against unranked opponents not named Colorado. And 0-4 vs. the Buffs.
· Arizona was finally able to break through against one of the nation's elite teams with a five-set victory over UCLA in the penultimate game in McKale Center. Still, UA's 1-10 mark against the top teams in the country does not properly showcase the competitiveness of the matches. Arizona has taken 13 sets off top-15 teams and has taken eight additional sets to deuce. Arizona is just 2-8 in sets decided by two points against top-15 teams. Despite losing 10 of the 11 matches, Arizona is only being outscored by a total of 2.3 points per set in the losses (1054-952 in 45 sets).
· Forty-nine of Arizona's 124 sets were decided by three points or fewer. Arizona was under .500 in those sets (24-25), but 45-30 (.600) in sets decided by four or more points.
· Kalei Mau, who averaged 1.27 kills/set in 2014, had 18 or more kills in 14 of her last 24 matches, including eight 20-plus-kill efforts. Her 4.33 kills/set were third in the conference.
· Sixteen of Arizona's 33 opponents have hit under .160 this season, including eight under .100. Arizona held Pac-12 opponents to a .202 hitting percentage, fourth best in the conference.
· The Wildcats were one win away from their third straight 20-win season, something Arizona hasn't accomplished since 2000-2002. Prior to recording 21 (2013) and 24 (2014) wins each of the last two seasons, Arizona reached 20 victories just once in the previous seven seasons (2010; 20).
· Arizona's 64 victories from 2013-2015 are the most in a three-year span since 2000-2002 (73).
· Despite losing its top three scorers from a season ago, including All-American Madi Kingdon who is second in school history in kills, Arizona rebounded remarkably and finished second in the league in total kills (1,729).
· Coinciding with the arrival of assistant coach Gregg Whitis, who works mainly with Arizona's defensive specialists, Arizona's defense has been historic the last three seasons. UA has led the Pac-12 in digs each of the last three years and has posted three of the top four dig/set totals in Arizona history, including 16.83/set this season, fourth in Arizona history. Arizona's 2014 figure of 17.87 is a school record.
· All-conference setter Penina Snuka finished second in the Pac-12 in assists/set (10.88). What makes this even more impressive is that she was second on the team with 3.36 digs/set, taking her away from more than three assist opportunities every game. The junior ranks fifth in Arizona history with 3,779 assists and is fourth in career digs (1,209).
· McKenzie Jacobson was in on 11 of Arizona's season-high-tying 16 blocks at Cal (11/1), a career high and the 11th-most blocks by an individual in a four-set match this season in the NCAA. They are the sixth most total blocks in a four-set match in Arizona history.
HEAD COACH DAVE RUBIO: The winningest active volleyball coach in the Pac-12, Dave Rubio finished his 24th season at the helm of the Arizona volleyball program. Rubio has led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in 18 of his 24 seasons as the head coach, including six of the last seven seasons. Rubio, who guided the 2000 club to a Pac-10 title and the 2001 squad to the Final Four, holds a 459-277 (.624) all-time record at Arizona.
RANKINGS: After 30 consecutive weeks in the polls, Arizona was unranked in each of the final two AVCA Top 25s. UA began the season ranked 17th.
SCORE IN FOUR: Whether up 2-1 or down 1-2, the fourth set has proven to be imperative to determining the victor in matches that go past three sets. Arizona is 7-1 when winning the fourth set and just 3-9 when losing it. Here is the breakdown of Arizona's record when winning or losing each set:
Winning Set 1: 17-3 Losing Set 1: 2-10
Winning Set 2: 14-5 Losing Set 2: 5-8
Winning Set 3: 16-3 Losing Set 3: 4-10
Winning Set 4: 7-1 Losing Set 4: 3-9
Winning Set 5: 3-0 Losing Set 5: 0-2
SETTING THE TONE: All-conference setter Penina Snuka has excelled in her three seasons as the Wildcats' setter. Snuka has been an honorable mention All-American each of the last two seasons. Snuka has led the Pac-12 in double-doubles in each of her three seasons at Arizona (2013 - 19, 2014 - 25, 2015 - 22). After just three seasons, Snuka is fifth in Arizona history with 3,779 assists and is Arizona's top digging setter (fourth overall) with 1,209 digs.
CAN YOU DIG IT? Arizona led the conference in digs in each of the last three years, including a school-record 17.87/set in 2014 and 16.83/set in 2014. Laura Larson, who finished with double-figure digs in her last 16 matches, was Arizona's primary libero. Arizona also welcomed three transfers (Anna Panagiotakopoulos - West Virginia, McKenna Painton - Cal State Fullerton and Mackenzie Kleespies - James Madison) all of whom were the primary liberos at their previous schools. UA has led the conference in digs each of the last two seasons.
Arizona posted the seventh-highest dig total in school history when it dug 112 balls in the season-opener vs. SMU. Five of the top 11 dig totals in Arizona history have come since the start of the 2014 season. Kalei Mau notched 31 of those digs to be named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Mau's 31 digs are tied for fifth in Arizona history. In school history, there have been 10 30-plus dig matches, five of which have come since the start of the 2013 season.
FRESH FACES: There was a lot of turnover from the 2014 club to 2015. Arizona Two-thirds of Arizona's roster (12 of 18) was made up of players that had never played for Arizona before. This includes seven freshmen, four transfers and a redshirt freshman. Arizona's eight-player recruiting class was ranked 14th nationally and included four top-100 recruits: Sarah Dixon (30), Tyler Spriggs (37), Kendra Dahlke (49) and Meghan Buzzerio (95). The four transfers were invaluable members of the club. UA welcomed honorable mention All-American Nikki Attea from West Virginia as well as the Mountaineer's primary libero Anna Panagiotakopoulos. Additionally the Cats welcome Mackenzie Kleespies from James Madison and McKenna Painton from Cal State Fullerton, both of whom served as the libero at their previous schools.
GLASS HONORED: Arizona alum Kim Glass (2002-05) was honored by the Pac-12 as she was selected to the conference's volleyball All-Century Team. Glass was one of 16 players selected to the team. The 2002 Pac-10 and National Freshman of the Year is Arizona's all-time leader in kills (2,151) and owns three of the top four season kill totals in Arizona history including a record 650 in 2003. Glass had 54 matches with 20 or more kills in her career, nearly double the second highest total in school history (Barb Bell – 30). She is the only Wildcat to have her jersey retired in McKale. Glass went on to help lead Team USA to a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics.
SWEET 16: PrepVolleyball.com ranked the Top 25 Division I Volleyball programs of all time, ranking Arizona 16th siting the 18 seasons Arizona has finished in the Top 25, including last year. This ranking is a credit to the work that head coach Dave Rubio has put in during his 23-plus years as the head coach at Arizona. Though there has always been high quality volleyball at Arizona, Rubio has taken things to a new level. Rubio took over a program that won four total tournament games in history and equaled that total within his first three years. In all, volleyball has been to 26 NCAA Tournaments, including five of the last six and 17 total under Rubio. Arizona has been to seven Sweet 16s, four Elite 8s and advanced to the 2001 Final Four. Arizona finished in the top five in five seasons, including a high of No. 4 in 2001.
A NEW LOOK: The Wildcats lose several key contributors from the 2014 club.. In addition to the graduation of five key seniors, the Cats were also without outside hitter Ashley Harris, who took a leave of absence for personal reasons. Harris, All-American Madi Kingdon and Taylor Arizobal were Arizona's primary scoring options last season, and all are gone now. UA also lost starting libero Ronni Lewis and key role players MB Rachel Rhoades and DS Kennedy Wesley.
NEW DIGS: Historic McKale Center received a roughly-$30 million facelift prior to the 2014 season. The first phase of the multi-phase renovation included brand new seats in the arena, a new court, a new state-of-the-art video board, new LED screens around the arena, upgraded concessions and bathrooms in the concourse and a new locker room complete with a lounge area and kitchenette. Head coach Dave Rubio said of the facility, “Our goal was to have the nicest, most state-of-the-art locker room in the country. I think, thanks to our administration, that is exactly what we got. It's pretty exciting and beautiful.”
ALONG FOR THE RIDE: Follow the Arizona volleyball team on its various social media accounts to keep up with the Cats all season long.
Twitter: @ArizonaVBall
Instagram: @ArizonaVBall
YouTube: Arizona Volleyball
UP NEXT: Halli Amaro, MacKenzie Kleespies, Nikki Attea and Kalei Mau will compete for Arizona's sand volleyball team while the remainder of the returners will undergo a spring season to prepare for the 2016 campaign, which begins in August.
