THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 29 | Friday, Nov. 16 |
3,
2 |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
Match 30 | Sunday, Nov. 18 (12 p.m.) |
vs.
|
Pac-12 Network (Arizona/Los Angeles) |
Live Stats |
Twitter Updates |
Tickets
WEEKLY NOTES
NO. 24 ARIZONA RETURNS HOME FOR TWO TOP-25 MATCHUPS
After two weeks on the road, the 24th-ranked Wildcats (19-9, 8-8 Pac-12) return to their home state for the final four matches of the 2018 regular season, the first three of which will be in McKale Center, starting this week with a pair of top-25 showdowns. The Wildcats, who will look to avenge a pair of losses from earlier this season in Los Angeles, welcome #14 USC (19-8, 11-5 Pac-12) and #25 UCLA (12-11, 7-9 Pac-12) to Tucson this week. Arizona, which enters the week one win shy of its 18th 20-win season in program history, faces an opportunity to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume with a win this weekend against a pair of top-35 NCAA RPI teams. UA will face USC on Friday (6 p.m.) and UCLA on Sunday (12 p.m.).
QUICK HITS
- After two weeks on the road, the Wildcats return to McKale Center, where they are 10-3 this season, to face 14th-ranked USC and 25th-ranked UCLA in the penultimate week of the regular season.
- 24th-ranked Arizona is coming off a split at Utah (L, 2-3) and Colorado (W, 3-2) in which it played the maximum 10 sets on the second half of back-to-back road trips. In both matches, UA fell down 0-2 before digging deep and rallying to force a fifth set, winning one of those.
- The Wildcats have been without their full starting lineup all of Pac-12 play, a trend that will likely continue this weekend. Six starters have missed time in conference play: outside hitter Kendra Dahlke (4.95 kills/set) missed five matches (concussion/sprained foot) before returning last weekend, outside hitter Paige Whipple (3.08 kills/set) missed two matches with a concussion, outside hitter Katie Smoot (2.35 kills/set) missed two matches with a pulled abdomen muscle, right side hitter Elizabeth Shelton (2.14 kills/set) has missed all 18 Pac-12 matches with a concussion and remains out indefinitely, middle blocker Devyn Cross (2.12 kills/set) has missed the last three matches with a concussion and libero Makenna Martin (3.44 digs/set) missed one match with a groin injury.
- Arizona is 18-9 (8-8 Pac-12) on the season; UA has already eclipsed its win total from 2017 (11) and already has four times as many Pac-12 road victories this season (4) as last year (1).
- The Wildcats moved down three spots in this week's AVCA Top 25 to No. 24. UA is making its 322nd all-time appearance in the poll, 10th most in the NCAA.
- UA is one of only two teams in the AVCA Top 25 to have finished 2017 with an under .500 record; every other team currently ranked won at least 18 matches last season (UA went 11-18, Tennessee went 12-15).
- 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 509 for his career entering this week.
- The Wildcats enter the week 23rd in the nation (and fourth in the Pac-12) in kills/set (14.04). 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).
- Kendra Dahlke, who returned last week after a two-week absence with a sprained foot, leads the Pac-12 and is fourth in the nation, averaging 4.95 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in 17 of the 22 matches she has played in this season, including the first 11 matches, the longest 15-plus-kill streak in school history. Dahlke is third in the Pac-12 in double-doubles (13) and is second in points/set (5.31).
- Dahlke's 411 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 - 1,332). The senior enters this weekend 139 kills shy of sixth place (Lisa Rutledge - 1,471). She is trying to become the fourth Wildcat to average over 5.00 kills per set, and the second to do it since sets were played to 25 (Madi Kingdon, 2014 - 5.33).
- Devyn Cross is one of only two players in the Pac-12 hitting .360 or better with more than 95 blocks. She ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.360) and 13th in the league, averaging 1.10 blocks/set.
- Arizona's starting middle blockers, Devyn Cross (.374) and Shardonee Hayes (.445) are hitting a combined .406 in Pac-12 matches.
- Much of UA's offensive success can be attributed to junior setter Julia Patterson, who sits fourth in the Pac-12 and 33rd in the NCAA, averaging 10.92 assists/set. She leads the league with 16 double-doubles, including her last eight matches.
- Last month, Julia Patterson became the ninth player in Arizona history to surpass 2,000 career assists vs. Oregon (10/28). She sits ninth in school history with 2,202 assists, and has done it in under two years as UA's starting setter.
- Despite having the conference leader in kills and attempts per set (Kendra Dahlke), Patterson spreads the sets around. Seven different Wildcats average 1.23 kills/set or more (Kendra Dahlke - 4.95, Paige Whipple - 3.08, Katie Smoot - 2.35, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Devyn Cross - 2.12, Candice Denny - 1.81, Shardonee Hayes - 1.23), which is the most in the Pac-12 (min. 16 sets played).
- Arizona's offense ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in kills (14.04/set), fifth in assists (12.83/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.238) 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
- USC leads the all-time series 60-21, but the Wildcats have won the last two meetings in McKale Center, including a sweep of the 15th-ranked Trojans last season. USC defeated Arizona earlier this season in four sets in Los Angeles (full recap on page 5).
- UCLA owns a 58-26 edge in the all-time series with Arizona and has won the last three meetings, including a sweep in Los Angeles this season (full recap on page 5). Prior to the current UCLA streak, the Wildcats had defeated the Bruins at least once in six straight seasons.
COACHES
- Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 509-318)
- USC: Brent Crouch (1st year; 19-8)
- UCLA: Michael Sealy (9th year; 197-87)
OPPONENTS
- #14 USC (19-8, 11-5 Pac-12) has won four of its last five matches, including a home split last week vs. #25 Washington (L, 1-3) & #19 Washington State (W, 3-1). USC, which is eyeing a national seed in the NCAA Tournament, has two players averaging more than four kills/set -- Brooke Botkin (4.44), Khalia Lanier (4.34)
- #25 UCLA (12-11, 7-9 Pac-12) comes to Arizona having lost six of its last seven matches including a four-set loss to #19 Washington State and a straight-set loss to #25 Washington. Six of UCLA's 12 wins this year have come vs. ranked opponents.
RANKINGS
- Arizona moved down four spots in the AVCA Top 25 this week from No. 20 to No. 24.
- The Wildcats have been ranked 322 total weeks in the AVCA Top 25, dating back to 1982, the 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
- UA is 2-6 vs. ranked opponents this year.
- The Wildcats moved down two spots to No. 41 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 631 matches. Those 631 victories rank 16th among all active Division I coaches.
TOP-10 CATS
- Kendra Dahkle leads the Pac-12 in kills (4.95/set), is second in points (5.64/set) and is third in double-doubles (13). Dahlke is trying to become the first Wildcat since Kim Glass in 2005 to lead the Pac-12 in kills (5.48/set).
- Julia Patterson is fourth in the conference and 33rd nationally, averaging 10.98 assists/set. In just under two seasons as UA's starting setter, Patterson has already cracked the Arizona career top 10 in assists (9th - 2,202). On Oct. 28 (vs. Oregon), she became the ninth player in school history to pass 2,000 career assists.
- Devyn Cross is fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.360) overall and is hitting .374 in conference matches, fourth in the league.
- Makenna Martin ranks 10th in the Pac-12, averaging 3.44 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.
