THE GAMES (Times MST)
1 | Thursday, Sept. 21 (8 p.m.) |
3,
0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-22) |
Recap |
Box Score |
Video Recap
2 | Saturday, Sept. 23 (6 p.m.) |
vs.
| Tucson, Ariz. (McKale Center) |
Live Stream |
Live Stats |
Twitter Updates |
Tickets
WEEKLY NOTES
ARIZONA OPENS PAC-12 PLAY WITH ROAD/HOME WEEK
Arizona volleyball (6-3) is set to begin the Pac-12 schedule after a wrapping nonconference play with a 2-1 showing at the Wildcat Classic last weekend. The first of 10 straight conference weekends opens with rival Arizona State in Tempe on Thursday (8 p.m. MST). The Wildcats will then return home to host Washington State on Saturday (6 p.m. MST).
Arizona's match vs. Arizona State will be the first of 13 televised matches on the Pac-12 Networks. Daron Sutton and Al Scates will have the call on Pac-12 Arizona for the territorial cup match.
SERIES HISTORY
- Arizona holds a 47-43 all-time record over Arizona State. The teams split the pair of matches last season, with each team winning on its home court. UA defeated ASU on Sept. 21 in four sets (25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 25-18) before the Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats in five on Nov. 26 (25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 18-25, 18-20). The home team has won the last four matchups; UA's last win in Tempe was on Nov. 28, 2014 (29-27, 25-20, 25-21).
- The Wildcats have won 63 of the 82 meetings all-time vs. Washington State. The Cougars swept the two matches last season, winning in straight sets in McKale on Oct. 21 (27-25, 25-23, 25-16) and in five in Pullman on Nov. 13 (25-18, 27-29, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12). Last year's victories ended a stretch of six straight wins for Arizona in the series.
COACHES
- Arizona head coach Dave Rubio is in his 26th season with the Wildcats. The conference's active leader in wins a Pac-12 coach, Rubio is 485-294 at UA.
- ASU head coach Sanja Tomasevic is in her first season with the program.
- Reigning Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jen Greeny is in her seventh season with Washington State. She is 102-105 at WSU.
CATS AT A GLANCE
- Arizona is third in the Pac-12 in opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to a .156 clip. Arizona has held seven of its nine opponents under .200.
- The Wildcats are 14th nationally in blocks/set (3.01) and have had double-digit blocks in eight of their nine matches (89%). UA had 10-or-more blocks in just 15 total matches last season (43%).
- Underclassmen account for 56% of Arizona's kills (255-of-452), 91% of Arizona's assists (379-of-415), 63% of Arizona's digs (310-of-496) and 62% of Arizona's blocks.
- Paige Whipple notched 24 kills vs. William & Mary, the fourth most kills by any Pac-12 player this year and most by any freshman. She, along with Tyler Spriggs, was named to the Wildcat Classic All-Tournament Team.
- Despite playing the second fewest matches in the Pac-12, Julia Patterson is tied for the conference lead in double-doubles (5) and Paige Whipple is tied for third (4).
OPPONENTS
Arizona State (10-2)
- The Sun Devils have won six consecutive matches, dropping just two sets in the process. ASU defeated Lamar, Houston Baptist and UT Arlington in Arlington last weekend.
- Freshman setter Shelbie Dobmeier leads the Pac-12 with 12.04 assists/set.
- Arizona State leads the Pac-12 in digs/set, averaging 17.02, led by reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week Halle Harker's Pac-12-best 5.48/set.
Washington State (11-1)
- The Cougars are receiving votes in the latest AVCA Top 25 after completing nonconference play with the best record in the Pac-12.
- WSU's 3.35 blocks/set are the most in the Pac-12, helping it limit opponents to a .124 hitting percentage, also the best in the conference.
- Washington State comes to Tucson on a eight-match win streak. The Cougars have needed just three sets to win seven of those eight matches.
RANKINGS
- Arizona did not receive votes in this week's AVCA Top 25.
- Arizona was ranked 24th in the preseason top 25, marking Arizona's 314th week in the AVCA Top 25, dating back to 1982. That's 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
- The Pac-12 has seven teams in the Top 25: No. 4 Stanford, No. 7 Washington, No. 8 Oregon, No. 11 UCLA, No. 16 Utah and No. 21 USC and No. 25 Colorado. Washington State is receiving votes.
- UA has 11 matches scheduled against teams currently ranked in the Top 25.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
- Arizona has finished top three in the conference in each of the last four season in digs per set. UA led the Pac-12 from 2013-15 and finished third in 2016 (15.67 digs/set).
- However, four of the six players that averaged more than a dig per set last season graduated, including libero Laura Larson and setter Penina Snuka, two of the top five diggers in UA history.
- This season, UA is averaging 14.59 digs/set (fourth in the Pac-12) led by libero Kimberly Gutierrez's 3.06 digs/set.
DAHLKE LOOKS TO BUILD ON STELLAR SOPHOMORE SEASON
- Kendra Dahlke had a breakout campaign in 2016, averaging 3.95 kills and 4.35 points per set. Those figures ranked fourth and sixth in the Pac-12. Those figures were up from 1.57 kills and 1.72 points per set as a freshman in 2015.
- Dahlke is second on the team with 2.71 kills/set this season.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
- This season, sophomore setter Julia Patterson is tasked with replacing All-American Penina Snuka, the 2016 Pac-12 Setter of the Year. So far, so good. Patterson is averaging 10.45 assists and 2.77 digs/set.
- As the understudy of the best digging setter in UA history, Patterson must have picked up a thing or two. Snuka led the Pac-12 in double-doubles all four seasons as UA. Patterson is tied for the conference-lead with three double-doubles.
DON'T CROSS HER
- Devyn Cross made an immediate impact in 2016, stepping in as one of UA's starting middles almost immediately. However, it was late in the season that she truly left her mark, averaging 1.25 blocks/set over UA's last three weeks of 2016. She's carried that into 2017...
- Dating back to Nov. 18, 2016 (last 16 matches), Cross is averaging 1.51 kills/set on .364 hitting with 1.25 blocks/set. Prior to that point, Cross averaged 1.21 kills/set on .248 hitting with 0.80 blocks/set.
RUBIO AND STAFF RECRUITING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
WILD KITTENS
- Arizona has eight freshmen, five sophomores, four juniors and just two seniors. Arizona's 13 underclassmen are the most in the Pac-12.
- Through graduation/transfer, Arizona lost six players who combined for 737 total sets played in 2016. The nine returners combined for 550 sets last season and 946 for their entire careers.
ONE LAST GO-AROUND FOR MACK
- Middle blocker McKenzie Jacobson is set for her redshirt senior season. Jacobson, along with transfer Kimberly Gutierrez, are the lone two seniors on the squad.
- Jacobson led the team in hitting percentage last season (.293) and averaged more than two points per set (2.01) for the second straight year.
UP NEXT
- Arizona heads to the Bay Area next weekend to face Stanford (Sept. 29) and California (Oct. 1).
