SWEET 16
Arizona (20-14, 10-10 Pac-12) vs. (8) Washington (28-4, 16-4 Pac-12)
Friday, Dec. 9 | 12:30 p.m. MST
Live Stream | Live Stats | Live Updates | Arizona Match Notes | Washington Match Notes | NCAA Bracket
 

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THE GAMES
 
Friday, Dec. 9
10 a.m. MST        G1: (16) Penn State at (1) Nebraska (ESPNU)
12:30 p.m. MST    G2: Arizona vs. (8) Washington (ESPN3)
 
Saturday, Dec. 10
2 p.m. MST            G3: G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner (ESPNU)
 
FOLLOW THE CATS
Live Video: ESPN3.com
Live Stats: ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/volleyball-women/d1
Live Updates: Twitter: @ArizonaVBall
 
THIS WEEK: For the eighth time under head coach Dave Rubio, and first since 2005, the Wildcats (20-14) are in the Sweet 16 after defeating Cleveland State and ninth-seeded Michigan State in East Lansing, Michigan in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will meet up with Pac-12 foe Washington (28-4) in the regional semifinal with the winner to meet top-seeded Nebraska or No. 16 seed Penn State in the regional final. The Wildcats and Huskies are set to meet for the third time this season at 12:30 p.m. MST at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. The weekend's action in Lincoln will be shown or streamed on the ESPN family of networks.
 
CATS AT A GLANCE

• Arizona is one of four unseeded teams in this year's Sweet 16 after its road upset of eighth-seeded Michigan State. Arizona will try to become the second unseeded team over the last four years to advance to the Elite 8. The lone unseeded team to make it beyond the Sweet 16? BYU in 2014, after defeating 11th-seeded Arizona in McKale Center in the round of 32. BYU advanced to the national title game in 2014.
• It's four straight years, and 28 overall, dancing for the Cats. Head coach Dave Rubio has led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in 19 of his 25 seasons.
• This marks Arizona's 13th trip to the Regional Semifinal in program history, eight of which have occurred under head coach Dave Rubio, who is in his 25th season with Arizona.
• Penina Snuka was named Pac-12 Setter of the Year after leading the conference in total assists for the second straight year (1,399). Snuka averages 10.76 assists and 3.05 digs per set and is tied for the Pac-12-lead in double-doubles (21). With no one mathematically able to surpass her, Snuka is guaranteed to lead (or tie for the lead) the league in double-doubles all four years at Arizona.
• Seniors Penina Snuka and Kalei Mau were named All-Pac-12 for the second straight year. Mau is second in the conference in kills (4.10/set) after finishing third last year (4.33/set).
• Laura Larson was named Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Larson, whose 495 digs this season are third in Arizona history, has a 3.968 GPA while majoring in molecular and cellular biology. Larson is 17 digs away from tying Candace Nicholson's school-record 512 digs in 2013.
• Arizona finished the regular season with eight RPI Top 50 wins, more than all but seven teams in the country.
• In eight sets in East Lansing, Arizona hit a blistering .352 and had just 25 attack errors in 256 swings. Kalei Mau averaged five kills per set on .352 hitting while Penina Snuka averaged 11.5 assists and 3.75 digs per set. Devyn Cross averaged two kills and over a block per set.
• The Wildcats has 12 aces compared to just six for their opponents in the first two rounds of the tournament.
• Arizona has played 17 matches vs. ranked opponents this season. After starting the year 0-5 vs. ranked competition, the Cats have won eight of their last 12 vs. ranked opponents. Those eight wins, all in the last nine weeks, are the most in a season since 2005 for Arizona. Arizona recently completed a stretch of 12 matches in which it played 10 ranked opponents; such is life in the Pac-12.
• Much of the reason Arizona has turned things around can be traced to its health. Arizona's top three scorers (Kendra Dahlke - concussion; Kalei Mau - dislocated shoulder & slipped disc; Katarina Pilepic - broken finger) have all missed extended time this year. The trio have been in the starting lineup together just 21 times this season, including the last 18 matches.
• After leading the Pac-12 in digs each of the last three seasons, Arizona is third this year, averaging 15.66 digs/set. Laura Larson is ninth in the Pac-12, averaging 3.80 digs/set.
• Kendra Dahlke and Kalei Mau are both in the top four in the Pac-12 in kills, making them the best offensive duo in the Pac-12. Mau is second with 4.10 kills/set while Dahlke is fourth with 3.95 kills/set. No other team in the conference has two players in the top 10.
• Arizona's success this season can be traced to where it all starts: serve and pass. In Arizona's 20 wins, UA is averaging 1.41 aces/set while in losses, the Cats are averaging just 0.84 per set. Additionally, in losses the Cats have allowed 1.04 aces/set compared to just 0.72/set in victories. Arizona has 125 service errors in its 14 losses.
• Arizona's regular season opponents went 429-239 (.642), making the Wildcats' schedule the sixth hardest in the country.
• Kendra Dahlke is enjoying a breakout campaign in her sophomore year. After averaging 1.57 kills/set as a freshman with four double-digit kill matches, Dahlke is second on the Wildcats with 3.95 kills/set and has had 10-or-more kills in 28 of the 32 matches she has played in. Dahkle is fourth in the Pac-12 in kills.
• 2016 marks the 25th season as the head coach of the Wildcats for Dave Rubio, the conference's active leader in victories as a Pac-10/12 coach (479). In 2016, the team will celebrate his quarter century of excellence, which includes a 2000 Pac-10 championship and a trip to the 2001 Final Four.

 
OPPONENTS
Washington: "It's tough to beat a team three times in a season" - Arizona will put that old adage to the test on Friday as the Wildcats will meet the seventh-ranked (and eighth-seeded) Huskies (28-4) on Friday after the Huskies won both matches during the regular season ... Though Washington won six of the seven sets between the two clubs, all sets were decided by five or fewer points, while four of the seven went to deuce ... Arizona will be looking to break an 11-match losing streak vs. the Pac-12 Champion Huskies ... Arizona averaged more kills and digs per set in the two matches, but Washington's block (3.86/set) and UA's hitting errors (7.7/set) helped the Huskies sweep the season series ... Kalei Mau averaged 4.86 kills and 4.57 digs per set and Laura Larson averaged 4.71 digs per set vs. the Huskies, but UA will need to slow Crissy Jones, who averaged 2.86 kills and 2.14 blocks per set.
Series history: Washington leads the all-time series 39-25, including 11 straight. The Huskies won both matchups this year (full recap on page 4).
 
Nebraska: The top-seeded Cornhuskers (29-2) continue their quest for their second straight NCAA title ... Head coach John Cook was named AVCA North Region Coach of the Year for his leadership of the Big Ten Champions ... The Huskers average 14.39 kills on .288 hitting while their defense averages 2.87 blocks and limits opponents to a .139 hitting percentage ... Nebraska has won 17 of its last 18 matches, with its only loss in that stretch in five sets to No. 2 Minnesota.
Series history: Nebraska has won five of the six matches in the series, including five straight. Arizona and Nebraska met in the 2000 Elite 8 in Lincoln, with the Huskers winning in three sets.
 
Penn State: The 16th-seeded Nittany Lions (24-9) head to Lincoln after defeating LIU Brooklyn and Pitt in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament ... PSU is led by Simone Lee, who averages 4.15 kills per set ... Penn State has wins vs. No. 19 Ohio State, No. 22 Purdue, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 22 Michigan this year ... Penn State outhits its opponents .294 to .167 on the year.
Series history: Penn State owns a 2-1 overall series lead, but the two teams have not met since 1991.
 
RANKINGS: Arizona is receiving votes in this week's AVCA Top 25.
 
SETTING THE TONE: Pac-12 Setter of the Year 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 22 in 2016, tied for first in the conference. Snuka is currently second in Arizona history with 5,178 assists and is Arizona's top digging setter (second overall) with 1,605 digs.
 
CAN YOU DIG IT? After leading the conference in digs each of the last three years, Arizona is third this year, averaging 15.67 digs/set. Laura Larson is ninth in the league, averaging 3.81 digs/set. The senior has double-digit digs in 45 of Arizona's last 49 matches. Larson's 495 digs this season rank third in a season in Arizona history, 17 behind Candace Nicholson's UA-record 512 in 2013.
 
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 is second on the team with 3.95 kills/set and has had double-digit kills in 27 of the 32 matches she has played in. In 2015, she had four total double-digit kill efforts. Dahlke is fourth in the Pac-12 in kills/set and sixth in points/set (4.35).
 
PUTTING THE TEAM ON HER BACK: In the 59 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 45 of those matches. Mau's 15 20-plus kill matches in that span rank sixth in a career in Arizona history.
 
ACE IN THE HOLE: Arizona is second in the Pac-12 with 1.16 aces per set after finishing in the bottom third of the conference each of the last three years. The Wildcats' 151 aces are 47 more than their 2015 total. Seven Wildcats have double digit aces: Penina Snuka (34), Laura Larson (25), Kalei Mau (21), Reilly Killeen (16), Makenna Martin (15), Kendra Dahlke (12) and Katarina Pilepic (11).
 
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 83 matches, making it the winningest in Arizona history since the 2003 class won 90. These seniors also qualified for four NCAA Tournaments, the first time 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: Arizona will look to advance to the program's second Final Four. The victor of the Lincoln Regional will advance to the Final Four in Columbus.