CACTUS CLASSIC
AUG. 31-SEPT. 1 • McKALE CENTER
THE GAMES
| DATE |
TIME |
MATCHUP/RESULT |
LINKS |
| Friday, Aug. 31 |
10 a.m. |
ARIZONA 3, Lipscomb 0 |
Box Score (PDF) • Recap • Photos |
| Friday, Aug. 31 |
12:30 p.m. |
Pacific 3, San Diego State 2 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Friday, Aug. 31 |
4:30 p.m. |
Pacific 3, Lipscomb 1 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Friday, Aug. 31 |
7 p.m. |
ARIZONA 3, San Diego State 0 |
Box Score (PDF) • Recap • Photos |
| Saturday, Sept. 1 |
10 a.m. |
San Diego State 0, Lipscomb 3 |
Box Score (PDF) |
| Saturday, Sept. 1 |
12 p.m. |
ARIZONA 3, Pacific 0 |
Box Score (PDF) |
Tickets • Clear Bag Policy • Promo Schedule
WEEKLY NOTES
CATS HOST CACTUS CLASSIC TO KICK OFF HOME SLATE
After opening the season with a 3-0 weekend at the Hornet Invitational in Sacramento, California, Arizona volleyball will open its 2018 home schedule with the two-day, six-match Cactus Classic. UA will host Lipscomb, Pacific and San Diego State in the tournament at McKale Center Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. UA opens the event with a doubleheader on Friday; the Cats face Lipscomb at 10 a.m. before facing San Diego State at 7 p.m. MST. Arizona closes out the event with Pacific on Saturday at 12 p.m. Tickets are still available for Saturday's matchup with San Diego State; UA's other two matches will be free of charge.
LEADING OFF
- Arizona went 3-0 at the season-opening Hornet Invitational in Sacramento, California last weekend. The Wildcats swept CSUN (3-0) before defeating Utah State (3-2) and Sacramento State (3-1) to earn the tournament title.
- Kendra Dahlke (5.58 kills/set, .370 hit%, 2.92 digs/set) was named Hornet Invitational Most Valuable Player, her third career tournament MVP honor. Julia Patterson (11.42 assists/set, 2.08 digs/set, 0.42 aces/set) and Devyn Cross (1.92 kills/set, .275 hit%, 1.08 blocks/set) were named to the all-tournament team.
- Dahlke's 5.58 kills/set lead the Pac-12 by nearly a kill per set. Her 67 kills last weekend give her 988 for her career. With 12 more kills, Dahlke will become the 18th player in school history and 167th in Pac-12 history. Dahlke, who set a new career high with 28 kills vs. Utah State, had her 48th, 49th and 50th career double-digit-kill matches and eighth and ninth 20-plus-kill matches last weekend. She's on pace to leave Arizona in the career top-10 in both categories.
- Buoyed by a .463 hitting percentage in its sweep of CSUN, Arizona's highest hitting percentage in a season-opener in school history and sixth overall, the Wildcats are hitting .285 for the season, best in the Pac-12 and 24th best nationally.
- Head coach Dave Rubio is closing in on 500 victories in his Arizona career. His 493 wins are the most by an active Pac-12 coach. If he accomplishes it, he will become the second coach in conference history to reach 500 wins as a Pac-12 coach. Andy Banachowksi (UCLA; 1970-2009) is the league's all-time leader with 619 wins.
- Arizona's offense ranks second in the Pac-12 in kills (14.75/set) and first in hitting percentage (.285) after finishing 11th and 12th, respectively, in the league in 2017.
- While Arizona's offense stole the show on the weekend, the UA defense put together a match for the ages vs. Sacramento State. In four sets vs. the Hornets, UA had 101 digs, the highest single-match dig total among Power 5 teams last weekend (eighth highest overall). Arizona's 101 digs marked its highest dig total since Aug. 28, 2015 (112 at SMU). Arizona is fifth in the conference in digs/set (15.83) and Makenna Martin is eighth.
- UA's current 3-0 record marks the first 3-0 start since 2015 and 11th time that the Wildcats have finished opening week unbeaten in head coach Dave Rubio's career.
- 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 seasons overall.
SERIES HISTORY
- Arizona is 2-1 all-time vs. Lipscomb. This matchup is the backend of a home-and-home between the Wildcats and the Bisons; Lipscomb defeated Arizona in four sets (25-13, 31-29, 20-25, 25-22) in the season-opening LUV Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Pacific has won seven of the 10 all-time matchups between the two clubs, but the Tigers and the Wildcats have not met since 2010, when Pacific defeated Arizona in in four sets in Reno, Nevada.
- San Diego State holds a 20-8-1 all-time record vs. Arizona. UA won the last matchup on opening day of the 2004 season when UA defeated the Aztecs in four sets in San Diego.
COACHES
- Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 490-309)
- Lipscomb: Brandon Rosenthal (16th year; 282-182)
- Pacific: Greg Gibbons (9th year; 146-100)
- San Diego State: Deitre Collins-Parker (10th year; 147-129)
SCOUTING THE CACTUS CLASSIC FIELD
- Lipscomb opened the season 2-0 at the LUV Invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, including a five-set victory over Iowa. Carlyle Nusbaum was named ASUN Player of the Week for a conference-record 10th time; she currently ranks 11th in ASUN history in career kills (1,346).
- Pacific went 1-2 at the season-opening Sun Devil Classic in Tempe; it defeated UT Arlington in five sets and lost four-set matches to New Mexico State and Arizona State. Two Tigers, Kaitlyn Lines and Riley Patterson, averaged 4.00 kills/set in week 1.
- San Diego State went 1-2 at its Aztec Invitational to open the season with a five-set victory over Seattle and losses to CSU Bakersfield (3-2) and Portland (3-1). Deja Harris led the team in kills (3.64/set), hitting percentage (.400) and blocks (1.57) in 14 sets.
RUBIO LOOKING FOR WIN 500
- Arizona head coach Dave Rubio enters this week seven wins shy of 500 for his career. If he reaches the milestone, he will be the second coach in conference history to reach 500 victories as a Pac-10/12 coach. Rubio trails only legendary UCLA coach Andy Banachowski in the Pac-12 record books; Banachowski won 619 matches from 1970-2009 with the Bruins.
- Including his 122 victories at Division II Cal State Bakersfield, where he began his career from 1987-1991, Rubio has won 615 matches. Those 615 victories rank 20th among all active Division I coaches.
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.
- Arizona 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.
DAHLKE LOOKS TO LEAVE PLACE IN HISTORY
- After leading the Wildcats in total kills in each of the last two seasons, Kendra Dahlke is looking to rewrite the Wildcat history books. She currently sits 12 kills shy of 1,000 for her career. She would be the 18th player in Wildcat history to do so.
