THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 19 | Friday, Oct. 12 |
3,
0 |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
Match 20 | Sunday, Oct. 14 (1 p.m.) |
at
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Pac-12 Network (Arizona/Los Angeles) |
Live Stats |
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WEEKLY NOTES
WILDCATS SET TO FACE UCLA, USC ON THE ROAD THIS WEEK
Twenty-third ranked Arizona volleyball (14-4, 3-3 Pac-12) returns to the road this week for two more ranked matchups in the City of Angels; the Wildcats will face No. 20 UCLA (8-5, 3-3 Pac-12) on Friday and No. 15 USC (12-5, 4-2 Pac-12) on Sunday. Arizona is looking to extend a streak of seven consecutive seasons in which the Wildcats have upset either USC or UCLA while they were ranked (2017 - #15 USC; 2016 - #22/#25 USC & #18/#9 UCLA; 2015 - #11 UCLA; 2014 - #20 UCLA; 2013 - #1 USC; 2012 - #5 UCLA; 2011 - #2/#2 UCLA). UA is looking to get back on track after suffering a pair of home losses to No. 15 Washington and No. 22 Washington State last weekend. The Cats are also looking to get healthy; they've been without two starters due to concussion (
Elizabeth Shelton and
Paige Whipple).
QUICK HITS
- Arizona will look to get back on track this weekend in Los Angeles after dropping a pair of matches to No. 15 Washington and No. 22 Washington State last week in Tucson.
- UA is set for its third and fourth consecutive (and fifth and sixth in the last seven) matches against ranked opponents. UA is 1-3 this year vs. ranked teams.
- Arizona is 14-4 (3-3 Pac-12) on the season; UA has already eclipsed its win total from 2017 (11) and already has twice as many Pac-12 road victories this season (2) as last year (1) in just three tries.
- The Wildcats remain ranked in this week's AVCA Top 25 at No. 23. UA is making its 317th all-time appearance in the poll, 10th most in the NCAA.
- UA is one of two teams in this week's AVCA Top 25 to have finished 2017 with an under .500 record (Arizona State); every other team currently ranked won 18 or more matches last season (Arizona went 11-18, Arizona State went 10-22).
- Arizona's 14-4 start marks its best 18-match start since 2014. This marks the 10th time in school history that the Wildcats have won at least 14 of their first 18 matches: 1985 (14-4), 1997 (15-3), 1998 (16-2), 2000 (16-2), 2001 (15-3), 2005 (15-3), 2009 (15-3), 2010 (14-4) and 2014 (15-3).
- Earlier this season, head coach Dave Rubio became the second coach in Pac-10/12 history to surpass 500 career wins as a league coach, winning No. 500 vs. New Mexico State (Sept. 14). He's now at 504 for his career entering this week.
- The Wildcats enter the week sixth in the nation (and third in the Pac-12) in kills/set (14.50). Since sets were reduced from 30 to 25 points in 2008, Arizona's best offensive mark for a season was 13.94 kills/set, done twice (2015, 2016).
- Senior outside hitter Kendra Dahlke is having a nearly unprecedented start to 2018. Dahlke leads the Pac-12 and is third in the nation, averaging 5.17 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in 15 of the 17 matches she has played in this season, including the first 11 matches, the longest 15-plus-kill streak in school history. Dahlke leads the Pac-12 in double-doubles (12) and is second in points/set (5.47).
- Dahlke's 326 kills this season include No. 1,000 in her career; she became the 18th player in school history reach the 1,000-kill milestone in week 2 vs. Lipscomb and now has climbed into the Arizona top 10 in career kills (8th - 1,247). The senior enters this weekend 26 kills shy of seventh place (Melissa Ferris - 1,273).
- Devyn Cross is the only player in the Pac-12 (min. 40 sets) hitting better than .350 and averaging more than 1.1 blocks/set. Cross ranks fourth in the league in hitting percentage (.384) and 12th in blocks/set (1.14).
- Cross leads the Pac-12 in hitting percentage in league play (.419). Arizona's other starting middle, Shardonee Hayes, does not have enough attempts to qualify for the rankings, but is hitting .525 in Pac-12 play.
- Much of Arizona's offensive success to start the season can be attributed to junior setter Julia Patterson, who currently sits third in the Pac-12 and 14th in the NCAA, averaging 11.35 assists/set.
- Despite having the conference leader in kills and attempts per set (Kendra Dahlke), Patterson spreads the sets around. Seven different Wildcats average 1.3 kills/set or more (Kendra Dahlke - 5.17, Paige Whipple - 2.87, Devyn Cross - 2.26, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Katie Smoot - 1.88, Candice Denny - 1.37, Shardonee Hayes - 1.30), which is the most in the Pac-12.
- Arizona's offense ranks third in the Pac-12 in kills (14.50/set), third in assists (13.18/set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.253) after finishing 11th (12.50 kills/set), 11th (11.56 assists/set) and 12th (.204 hitting percentage), respectively, in the league in 2017.
- Arizona is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. Prior to missing the tournament last year, UA had been to seven of the previous eight NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by a Sweet 16 run in 2016. In all, Arizona has been to the NCAA Tournament in 19 of head coach Dave Rubio's 26 years and 28 times overall.
SERIES HISTORY
- UCLA owns a 57-26 edge in the all-time series with Arizona, including a sweep of the season series last season (full recap on page 5). The Wildcats had defeated UCLA at least once in six straight seasons. UA last won in Pauley Pavilion on Oct. 9, 2016 (3-2).
- USC leads the all-time series 59-21, but the Wildcats have won three of the last four from the Trojans; Arizona and USC split their two matches last season (full recap on page 6). USC won at home last season; Arizona's last victory in the Galen Center came in five sets on Oct. 7, 2016.
COACHES
- Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 504-313)
- UCLA: Michael Sealy (9th year; 193-81)
- USC: Brent Crouch (1st year; 12-5)
OPPONENTS
- No. 20 UCLA (8-5, 3-3 Pac-12) split last weekend at home against No. 20 Oregon (L, 0-3) and Oregon State (W, 3-0) and enters the weekend 3-3 in Pac-12 play, tied with Arizona for seventh in the conference. The Wildcats high-powered offense will look to test UCLA's backrow defense, which leads the Pac-12 in digs per set (17.22), led by Zano Muno's 4.00 digs/set. Mac May leads the Bruins' offense with 3.47 kills/set.
- No. 15 USC (12-5, 4-2 Pac-12) split last weekend at home against Oregon State (W, 3-0) and No. 20 Oregon (L, 0-3). The Trojans are 4-2 in league playe with their only two losses coming to the Ducks and unbeaten Stanford. USC is the only team in the country with two players averaging 4.3 kills/set or better (Brooke Botkin - 4.35, Khalia Lanier - 4.30).
RANKINGS
- Arizona moved down two spots in the AVCA Top 25 this week from No. 21 to No. 23.
- The Wildcats have been ranked 317 weeks in the AVCAP Top 25, dating back to 1982, the 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
- The Pac-12 has eight schools ranked in the top 25, the most among all conferences.
- UA is 1-3 vs. ranked opponents this year.
- The Wildcats checked in at No. 38 in this week's NCAA RPI.
MR. 500
- At this season's Wildcat Classic, Arizona head coach Dave Rubio won his 500th match at Arizona, becoming the second coach in Pac-10/12 history to reach 500 career victories as a coach in the league, joining legendary UCLA coach Andy Banachowski (619 wins, 1986-2009) as the only ones to reach the milestone.
- Rubio also joined a legendary group of Arizona coaches to win 500 games as a Wildcat: Mike Candrea (softball; 1986-present), Jerry Kindall (baseball; 1973-1996), Frank Sancet (baseball; 1950-1972), Lute Olson (men's basketball, 1983-2007) and Fred Enke (men's basketball; 1925-1961).
- Including his 122 victories at Division II Cal State Bakersfield, where he began his career from 1987-1991, Rubio has won 626 matches. Those 624 victories rank 20th among all active Division I coaches.
TOP-10 CATS
- Kendra Dahkle leads the Pac-12 in kills (5.17/set) and double-doubles (12) and is second in points (5.44/set). It is believed that no Wildcat has led the league in all three categories (double-doubles were not tracked by the Pac-12 historically).
- Julia Patterson is third in the conference and 14th nationally, averaging 11.35 assists/set. In just over one year as UA's starting setter, Patterson has already cracked the Arizona career top 10 in assists (10th - 1,794).
- Devyn Cross is fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.370) overall and is hitting .419 in conference matches, the top mark in the league.
- Makenna Martin ranks ninth in the Pac-12, averaging 3.79 digs/set. She led UA in digs in 2017 (2.87/set).
WILD KITTENS
- Arizona was one of the youngest teams in the country a season ago, when UA started three freshmen and two sophomores. A year later, the Wildcats gained experience, but in the big picture, remain one of the youngest teams in the country.
- UA has 13 underclassmen (7 freshmen, 6 sophomores). This, along with UCLA, is the most in the Pac-12.
RUN IT BACK
- Arizona returns all six starters and its libero, seven of 11 returning letterwinners, from last season. The Wildcats are the only team in the Pac-12 to return all six starters from last year.
- The Wildcats return 78% of their kills (1,057-of-1,363), 93% of their assists (1,177-of-1,260), 73% of their digs (1,102-of-1,502) and 76% of their blocks from last season.
- Arizona's freshman class in 2017 was one of its best in school history. Four freshmen (Paige Whipple - 213; Elizabeth Shelton - 187; Candice Denny - 106; Katie Smoot - 71) had more than 60 kills last year for the first time in school history. Candice Denny had the third best hitting percentage in UA freshman history (.302) and Paige Whipple had the ninth most digs (213) by a freshman in school history to go along with her 213 kills.
