THE GAMES (Times MST)
1 | Friday, Sept. 29 (7 p.m.) |
3,
0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-7) |
Recap
2 | Sunday, Oct. 1 (11 a.m.) |
at
| Berkeley, Calif. (Haas Pavilion) |
Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area |
Live Stats |
Twitter Updates
WEEKLY NOTES
WILDCATS HEAD TO BAY AREA FOR SECOND WEEK OF PAC-12 PLAY
Arizona volleyball (7-4, 1-1 Pac-12) will hit the road this week to face second-ranked and defending national champion Stanford (9-2, 2-0 Pac-12) on Friday and California (9-4, 0-2 Pac-12) on Sunday. Both matches will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks, with Kate Scott and Don Shaw on the call. The Wildcats split their opening weekend of conference play, sweeping rival ASU on the road before falling in four sets to Washington State at home. Last year, the Wildcats split with both Stanford and Cal; vs. Stanford, the road team won both matchups, while vs. Cal the opposite was true. Arizona's win in Palo Alto last year was its first victory over the Cardinal since 2005.
SERIES HISTORY
- Stanford has won 65 of the 73 total meetings between the two clubs. Entering 2016, the Cardinal had won 19 consecutive meetings before the Wildcats upset the eventual national champions in Palo Alto (25-21, 28-26, 25-27, 25-21) to end the 11-year drought. Stanford then won the meeting later on in Tucson (25-19, 25-23, 25-18). A full recap of last year's matches can be found on page 4.
- California holds a 39-24 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams. Arizona swept Cal in both 2014 and 2015 before the Bears ended the four-match skid last year in Berkeley, defeating UA (25-22, 23-25, 20-25, 25-23, 15-11). Arizona then defeated Cal in Tucson (19-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19). A full recap of last year's matches can be found on page 5.
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 486-295 at UA.
- Stanford head coach Kevin Hambly is in his first season in Palo Alto.
- Matt McShane is in his first year as head coach at California.
CATS AT A GLANCE
- Arizona is in the top third on the Pac-12 in all four defensive categories: opponent hitting percentage (3rd - .170), blocks/set (4th - 2.85) and digs/set (4th - 14.44). Arizona has held seven of its nine opponents under .200.
- The Wildcats are 18th nationally in blocks/set (2.85) and have had double-digit blocks in nine of their 11 matches (82%). UA had 10-or-more blocks in just 15 total matches last season (43%).
- Freshmen and sophomores account for 52% of Arizona's kills (287-of-551), 91% of Arizona's assists (464-of-508), 60% of Arizona's digs (355-of-592) and 62% of Arizona's blocks.
- In Arizona's sweep at Arizona State to open Pac-12 play, UA recorded seven service aces compared to just one error. Meanwhile UA did not allow a Sun Devil ace. When out-acing its opponent, Arizona is 4-0 on the season. In all four of UA's losses, its opponent has had at least five aces.
- Despite playing the second fewest matches in the Pac-12, Julia Patterson is tied for third in the Pac-12 with five double-doubles.
OPPONENTS
#2 Stanford (9-2, 2-0 Pac-12)
- The Cardinal have won four straight matches, including a sweep of its Pac-12-opening week vs. California (3-0) and at No. 25 Colorado (3-2).
- Stanford's lone two losses this season have come to No. 3 Penn State.
- Kathryn Plummer leads the conference in kills (4.82/set) and points (5.55/set).
California (9-4, 0-2 Pac-12)
- The Golden Bears have lost three straight, including suffering a pair of sweeps last week to open Pac-12 Play (at No. 4 Stanford, at No. 16 Utah).
- Antzela Dempi leads the team with 2.96 kills/set on .345 hitting.
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 six teams in the Top 25: No. 2 Stanford, No. 6 Washington, No. 12 Oregon, No. 13 UCLA, No. 15 Utah and No. 20 USC. Washington State and Colorado are 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 14.44 digs/set (fourth in the Pac-12) led by libero Kimberly Gutierrez's 3.15 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 2.97 kills/set this season, including 4.43 kills/set in Pac-12 play.
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 10.66 assists and 2.63 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 third in the Pac-12 with five 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 18 matches), Cross is averaging 1.47 kills/set on .354 hitting with 1.19 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 returns home for the first of two consecutive weeks at home next week. UA hosts UCLA (Oct. 4) and USC (Oct. 6) to kick off the home stand.
