#23 ARIZONA WILDCATS (17-6, 6-5 Pac-12) vs. OREGON STATE BEAVERS (10-13, 0-11 Pac-12) & #16 OREGON DUCKS (14-7, 7-4 Pac-12)
OCT. 26 & 28 • McKALE CENTER
THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 23 | Friday, Oct. 26 |
3,
0 |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
Match 24 | Sunday, Oct. 28 (11 a.m.) |
vs.
|
Live Stream |
Live Stats |
Twitter Updates |
Tickets
WEEKLY NOTES
ARIZONA WELCOMES OREGON STATE AND OREGON TO OPEN PAC-12'S SECOND HALF
Twenty-third-ranked Arizona (16-6, 5-5 Pac-12) will host Oregon State (10-12, 0-10 Pac-12) and No. 16 Oregon (13-7, 6-4 Pac-12) in the first two matches of the second half of conference play and final two of October. As we've hit the homestretch of the 2018 season, the Wildcats make the turn at 5-5 in the conference, good for a tie for sixth place, but just one game behind third place and two behind second. This weekend is key for the Wildcats who continue to jockey for Pac-12 positioning in a quest for their 29th NCAA Tournament appearance. UA welcomes Oregon State on Friday (7 p.m.) and Oregon on Sunday (11 a.m.).
QUICK HITS
- No. 23 Arizona volleyball will look to carry momentum from a weekend sweep of the Mountain schools into the second half of Pac-12 play, which begins this week at McKale Center when the Wildcats welcome Oregon State and Oregon.
- Devyn Cross was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after posting 13 blocks in UA's two victories. The junior, who leads the team and is eighth in the Pac-12 averaging 1.16 blocks/set, had a career-high-tying nine blocks vs. Utah. This was her first career weekly conference nod.
- The Wildcats have been without their full starting lineup all of Pac-12 play, a trend that will likely continue this weekend. Four of UA's top five hitters have missed significant time in conference play: Kendra Dahlke (5.05 kills/set) missed the USC match (10/14) with a concussion and is questionable this weekend with a foot injury suffered vs. Utah (10/21), Paige Whipple (2.82 kills/set) missed two games with a concussion, Elizabeth Shelton (2.14 kills/set) has missed all 10 Pac-12 matches with a concussion and remains out indefinitely, Katie Smoot (2.02 kills/set) missed two games with a pulled abdomen muscle.
- Arizona is 16-6 (5-5 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 five tries.
- The Wildcats moved up two spots in this week's AVCA Top 25 at No. 23. UA is making its 319th all-time appearance in the poll, 10th most in the NCAA.
- UA is the only team in this week's AVCA Top 25 to have finished 2017 with an under .500 record; every other team currently ranked won 18 or more matches last season (Arizona went 11-18).
- 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 506 for his career entering this week.
- The Wildcats enter the week 11th in the nation (and third in the Pac-12) in kills/set (14.31). 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 fourth in the nation, averaging 5.05 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in 16 of the 20 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 (5.38).
- Dahlke's 369 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 (7th - 1,290). The senior enters this weekend 181 kills shy of sixth place (Lisa Rutledge - 1,471).
- Devyn Cross ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.356) and eighth in blocks/set (1.16). She is hitting .367 in Pac-12 play, second highest mark in the league. Arizona's other starting middle, Shardonee Hayes, does not have enough attempts to qualify for the rankings, but is hitting .479 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 fourth in the Pac-12 and 23rd in the NCAA, averaging 11.12 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 - 5.05, Paige Whipple - 2.82, Devyn Cross - 2.19, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Katie Smoot - 2.02, Candice Denny - 1.45, Shardonee Hayes - 1.32), which is the most in the Pac-12 (min. 3 sets played).
- Arizona's offense ranks third in the Pac-12 in kills (14.31/set), fourth in assists (12.99/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.240) 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
- Arizona holds a 49-17 all-time lead in the series with Oregon State, including a sweep in Corvallis earlier this season (full recap on page 5). The Beavers won last year in McKale in three sets, ending a streak of 22 straight victories for the Wildcats against the Beavers in Tucson.
- The Wildcats have won 47 of the 67 meetings between Oregon and Arizona, and two straight, including a five-set victory over the then-12th-ranked Ducks in Euegene earlier this year (full recap on page 5). The last four matches between the Wildcats and Ducks have gone to five sets; UA is 3-1 in those matches.
COACHES
- Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 506-315)
- Oregon State: Mark Barnard (3rd year; 43-43)
- Oregon: Matt Ulmer (2nd year; 31-19)
OPPONENTS
- Oregon State (10-12, 0-10 Pac-12) comes to Tucson in search of its first Pac-12 victory. Despite taking a set from No. 2 Stanford, the Beavers dropped two matches to the Cardinal and California last weekend in Corvallis. OSU has two players averaging more than three kills per set this season -- Maddie Goings (3.45) and Amy Undertown (3.13).
- No. 16 Oregon (13-7, 6-4 Pac-12) comes to Tucson after a split last weekend at home vs. California (W, 3-0) and No. 2 Stanford (L, 1-3). The Ducks are led by a stellar offense; they average 14.85 kills/set on .264 hitting, both the second highest marks in the league.
RANKINGS
- Arizona moved up two spots in the AVCA Top 25 this week from No. 25 to No. 23.
- The Wildcats have been ranked 319 weeks in the AVCAP Top 25, dating back to 1982, the 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
- The Pac-12 has seven schools ranked in the top 25, the most among all conferences.
- UA is 1-3 vs. ranked opponents this year.
- The Wildcats moved up nine spots to No. 37 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 628 matches. Those 628 victories rank 20th among all active Division I coaches.
TOP-10 CATS
- Kendra Dahkle leads the Pac-12 in kills (5.05/set) and double-doubles (12) and is second in points (5.38/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 fourth in the conference and 23rd nationally, averaging 11.12 assists/set. In just 66 career matches, Patterson has already cracked the Arizona career top 10 in assists (10th - 1,935).
- Devyn Cross is seventh in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.359) overall and is hitting .367 in conference matches, second in the league. Cross also ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in blocks/set (1.16).
- Makenna Martin ranks 10th in the Pac-12, averaging 3.67 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.
