THE GAMES
 Round 1 | Friday, Nov. 30 (3:30 p.m. MST/4:30 p.m. CST) |  vs.  | Live Stream | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
 Round 2 | Saturday, Dec. 1 (6 p.m. MST/7 p.m. CST) | ( or ) vs. ( or ) | Live Stream | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
 

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ARIZONA SET FOR 29TH NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
Rewarded for its 22-10 (11-9 Pac-12) regular season, the Arizona volleyball team earned its fifth at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in the last six years, marking UA's 20th trip in head coach Dave Rubio's 27 years and 29th overall in program history. The Wildcats will travel to national No. 7 seed and defending national champion Nebraska to face first-round opponent Missouri on Friday, Nov. 30 at 3:30 p.m. MST. The Cornhuskers will take on Hofstra with the winners set to meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 6 p.m. MST. Live stats and live stream information can be found at the Interactive Bracket on NCAA.com.

QUICK HITS

• Arizona returns to the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time in school history, fifth time in the last six years, eighth time in the last 10 and 20th total under head coach Dave Rubio.
• The Wildcats will head to Lincoln, Nebraska for the first and (potentially) second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Though the opponent is unfamiliar (Arizona and Missouri have not met one another since 1995), the location is not. The last postseason match the Wildcats competed in was in the Bob Devaney Sports Center, when it hosted the 2016 regional semifinal and final (Arizona lost to eight-seeded Washington in the 2016 Sweet 16).
• Since its first trip in 1981, Arizona is 30-28 overall in the NCAA Tournament, 17-10 in the first round and 8-5 in the second round. Under Coach Rubio (1993-present), the Wildcats are 26-19 overall, 13-6 in the first round and 8-5 in the second round. (Arizona's NCAA Tournament history can be found on page 30).
• Kendra Dahlke was named to the all-Pac-12 team for the first time in her career following a stellar senior campaign. The Bonsall, California native leads the Pac-12, averaging 4.82 kills/set.
• Devyn Cross and Julia Patterson were named all-conference honorable mention. Cross is third in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.370) and Patterson is second in total assists (1,316).
• Arizona's 22 total victories and 11 conference wins both mark UA's second-highest totals since 2005 (Arizona had 24 wins and 12 Pac-12 wins in 2014). This comes after a 11-18 (5-15 Pac-12) season in 2017. Arizona's 11-victory improvement over last season is its largest increase in the school's Division I history. 
• Arizona enters the NCAA Tournament having won its last three matches, including sweeps of No. 25 UCLA and its in-state rival Arizona State.
• The Wildcats are as healthy as they've been all season; they enter the NCAA Tournament missing just one starter (Elizabeth Shelton). Due to injury, six starters have missed time the last two months. In Pac-12 play alone, Shelton missed all 20 matches (concussion), Kendra Dahlke missed five matches (concussion/sprained foot), Devyn Cross missed three matches (concussion), Paige Whipple missed two matches (concussion), Katie Smoot missed two matches (abdomen injury) and Makenna Martin missed one match (groin injury). 
• The Wildcats remained No. 23 in this week's AVCA Top 25. UA is making its 324th all-time appearance in the poll, 10th most in the NCAA.
• UA is one of only two teams (Tennessee) 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, UT 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 512 for his career entering this week.
• Kendra Dahlke, who returned on Nov. 9 after a two-week absence with a sprained foot, leads the Pac-12 and is fourth in the nation, averaging 4.82 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in 20 of the 26 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 (16) and is second in points/set (5.16).
• Dahlke's 477 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 - 1,398). The senior enters this weekend 73 kills shy of sixth place (Lisa Rutledge - 1,471). She is trying to become the fourth Wildcat to average over 4.80 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 three players in the Pac-12 hitting .355 or better with more than 100 blocks. She ranks third in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.370) and 16th in the league, averaging 1.06 blocks/set.
• Arizona's starting middle blockers, Devyn Cross (.389) and Shardonee Hayes (.416) hit a combined .401 in Pac-12 matches.
• Arizona's offense ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in kills (13.91/set), fifth in assists (12.70/set) and sixth in hitting percentage (.237) after finishing 11th (12.50 kills/set), 11th (11.56 assists/set) and 12th (.204 hitting percentage), respectively, in the league in 2017.
• Much of UA's offensive success can be attributed to junior setter Julia Patterson, who is second in the Pac-12 and 14th nationally with 1,316 assists this season. She leads the league with 19 double-doubles, including 11 of UA's last 12 matches. With 30 more assists this year, she would crack Arizona's top-10 in assists in a season. 
• 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 2,361 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 1.15 kills/set or more (Kendra Dahlke - 4.82, Paige Whipple - 3.11, Katie Smoot - 2.28, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Devyn Cross - 2.10, Candice Denny - 1.80, Shardonee Hayes - 1.18), which is the most in the Pac-12 (min. 19 sets played).

SERIES HISTORY

• Arizona is 1-0 all-time vs. Missouri. The Wildcats won the two school's lone meeting, a 3-0 victory in Tucson to open the 1995 season (Sept. 1).
• Nebraska owns a 5-1 series advantage over Arizona, but the two teams have not met since a four-set victory for No. 2 Nebraska over Arizona on Sept. 7, 2002 in Tucson. The Huskers have won five straight in the series after UA's five-set win in the first-ever meeting (Sept. 16, 1983; San Diego). The two teams have met once in the NCAA Tournament; Nebraska eliminated Arizona in the 2000 Elite 8 (3-0) in Lincoln.
• Arizona is 1-0 vs. Hofstra; the Cats defeated the Pride in three sets in San Diego on Sept. 10, 1994.

COACHES

• Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 512-318)
• Missouri: Wayne Kreklow (14th year; 303-147) 
• Nebraska: John Cook (19th year; 554-75)
• Hofstra: Emily Mansur (5th year; 112-48)

OPPONENTS

• Missouri (23-7, 13-5 SEC) is making its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament (and 15th overall in school history). The Tigers finished fourth in the SEC this season and posted 10 wins against RPI top-50 teams. Missouri is led by Kyle Deberg, who averages 3.58 kills/set this season, one of four Tigers above 2.00 kills/set.
• Nebraska (24-6, 15-5 Big Ten), the defending national champion, is making its 37th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cornhuskers have won eight straight matches entering the NCAA Tournament, with wins over three top-15 teams in that span. Nebraska hits .258 as a team while limiting its opponents to a .130 clip, helped out by 2.83 blocks per set. 
• Hofstra (25-7, 13-3 CAA) is making its ninth ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Colonial Athletic Association title. The Pride enter the tournament on a nine-match winning streak. Hofstra is led by Laura Masciullo, who averages 3.68 kills/set on .290 hitting.

RANKINGS

• Arizona remained No. 23 in this week's AVCA Top 25.
• The Wildcats have been ranked 324 total weeks in the AVCA Top 25, dating back to 1982, the 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
• UA is 3-7 vs. ranked opponents this year.
• The Wildcats ended the season ranked No. 39 in this week's NCAA RPI.
• The Pac-12 has six teams ranked in this week's AVCA Top 25.
• The Lincoln Regional is the only pod in the NCAA Tournament with three ranked teams: No. 6 Nebraksa, No. 23 Arizona, No. 24 Missouri.

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 634 matches. Those 634 victories rank 16th among all active Division I coaches.   

TOP-10 CATS

• Kendra Dahkle leads the Pac-12 in kills (4.82/set), is second in points (5.16/set) and is third in double-doubles (16). 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, averaging 10.79 assists/set. In just under two seasons as UA's starting setter, Patterson has already cracked the Arizona career top 10 in assists (9th - 2,361). On Oct. 28 (vs. Oregon), she became the ninth player in school history to pass 2,000 career assists. 
• Devyn Cross is third in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.370) overall and hit .389 in conference matches, second in the league. 
• Makenna Martin ranks 10th in the Pac-12, averaging 3.53 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.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Three Wildcats enter the weekend with an opportunity to put their 2018 season in the UA single season record books. Kendra Dahlke is 12 kills shy of breaking into the Arizona kills top-10 (for the second time in her career), Julia Patterson is 30 shy of the assists top-10 and Makenna Martin needs 11 digs to join the digs in a season top-10.

UP NEXT

• The winner of the Lincoln Regional will move to the Sweet 16. If the seeds hold, the winner will head to national No. 2 seed Minnesota. The winner of the Lincoln Regional will face the winner of the Lexington Regional.