ARIZONA 3, #22 USC 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-20)
Friday, October 7 | 7 p.m. MST
Recap | Box Score


ARIZONA (11-6, 3-2 Pac-12) at #18 UCLA (12-3, 3-2 Pac-12)
Sunday, October 9 | 11 a.m. MST
Pac-12 Networks | Live Stats | Live Updates | Arizona Notes | UCLA Notes

 

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THIS WEEK: After splitting the first four matches of conference play, Arizona (10-6, 2-2 Pac-12) finds itself in a six-way tie for fourth in the Pac-12. Two of the other teams in the logjam? No. 22 USC and No. 18 UCLA, whom Arizona will play this weekend in Los Angeles. The Cats have struggled this season, and in recent years, with ranked opponents, but Arizona has upset either USC or UCLA while they have been ranked in each of the last five seasons (2015 - #11 UCLA; 2014 - #20 UCLA; 2013 - #1 USC; 2012 - #5 UCLA; 2011 - #2 UCLA twice).
 
Arizona will play its next four matches in the state of California, starting this weekend with the Trojans and Bruins. UA is in a stretch of four straight matches vs. Top 25 teams, which began last week vs. No. 21 Oregon and will end next week vs. Stanford (currently No. 7). Both matches this weekend will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks.
 
OPPONENTS
USC: The 22nd-ranked Trojans (10-5, 2-2 Pac-12) have bounced back since an inauspicious 0-3 start to the season ... Similarly, USC began conference play 0-2 before sweeping #20 Colorado and #25 Utah last weekend ... The Trojans are second in the Pac-12 in digs/set (16.33), led by reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week Taylor Whittingham, whose 4.83 digs/set rank second in the league ... Elise Ruddins is a force in the middle, averaging 1.76 kills/set on a Pac-12-best .473 hitting percentage ... Khalia Lanier leads the team in kills (3.76/set) in her freshman campaign.
 
UCLA: The 18th-ranked Bruins (11-3, 2-2 Pac-12) are set for their first home series of the year after playing 12 of the first 13 matches of the season away from home ... The road has not fazed the Bruins one bit as UCLA is 11-3 on the year, including four wins vs. top-25 teams ... The Bruins lead the Pac-12 in kills (14.62/set), assists (13.63/set) and digs (18.06/set) - the 18.06 digs/set are fifth nationally ... Five Bruins average more than two kills per set, led by daughter of former UA basketball player Jud Buechler, Reily (3.38/set).
 
RANKINGS: Arizona is not ranked in this week's AVCA Top 25.
 
STARING AT THE STATS: Libero Laura Larson notched double-digit digs in both Arizona's matches last weekend, including 23 vs. Oregon. She has 10-or-more digs in 29 of Arizona's last 31 matches, and has had 20-plus digs in eight of those matches. Against Oregon, Larson had a career-high 10 assists to go along with her 23 assists for her first career double-double ... The Wildcats are second in the Pac-12 in aces/set with 1.49. Penina Snuka is tied for the league lead with 0.42/set and freshman Makenna Martin is ninth (0.27/set) ... In four Pac-12 matches, Arizona is averaging 16.50 digs/set, up from 14.49/set in nonconference matches. UA is second in digs/set in Pac-12 play ... In her first 10 matches in an Arizona uniform, Katarina Pilepic did not record more than 10 kills; she's had more than 10 in each of her last five.
 
SETTING THE TONE: All-conference setter Penina Snuka has excelled in her three-plus 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) and has nine in 2016, second in the conference. Snuka is currently third in Arizona history with 4,324 assists and is Arizona's top digging setter (second overall) with 1,371 digs.
 
CAN YOU DIG IT? After leading the conference in digs each of the last three years, Arizona is fifth this year, averaging 15.05 digs/set. Laura Larson is eighth in the league, averaging 3.81 digs/set. The senior has double-digit digs in 29 of Arizona's last 31 matches.
 
WHAT SOPHOMORE SLUMP? After averaging 1.57 kills/set as a part-time player in 2015, Kendra Dahlke has burst onto the scene in a big way as a sophomore. Dahlke leads Arizona with 4.08 kills/set and has had double-digit kills in 12 of her 14 matches. In 2015, she had four total double-digit kill efforts. Dahlke is third in the Pac-12 in both kills/set (4.08) and points/set (4.60).
 
PUTTING THE TEAM ON HER BACK: In the 41 matches that Kalei Mau has played in since the start of 2015, she has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in kills in 32 of those matches. Mau's nine 20-plus kill matches in that span rank 10th in a career in Arizona history.
 
ACE IN THE HOLE: Arizona leads the Pac-12 with 85 aces after finishing in the bottom third of the conference each of the last three years. The Wildcat's 85 aces are already more than 3/4ths of the way to their 2015 total of 104. Four Wildcats have double digit aces: Penina Snuka (24), Makenna Martin (13), Laura Larson (13) and Katarina Pilepic (10).
 
PERFECT 10: Arizona's 2016 recruiting class was ranked as the 10th best class in the country by PrepVolleyball.com. The Cats have seven freshmen, including two top-100 recruits (#60 Shardonee Hayes & #67 Julia Patterson).
 
A CLASS OF THEIR OWN: Arizona's senior class has won 74 matches, with the opportunity to become the winningest class in over a decade. Should the 2016 team win 18 games, it will make the senior class the winningest in Arizona history since the 2003 class won 90. These seniors are trying to become Arizona's first to make four NCAA Tournament appearances since the 2005 class capped off Arizona's run of 10 straight NCAA Tournaments.
 
FOLLOW THE CATS: Get a behind-the-scenes look at 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: The Wildcats return to California to take on Stanford (10/14) and Cal (10/16) to close out a two-week roadtrip.