THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 13 | Thursday, Sept. 20 |  3,  0 | Recap | Box Score (PDF)
Match 14 | Sunday, Sept. 23 (12 p.m.) |  at  | Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Bay Area | Live Stats | Twitter Updates
 

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ARIZONA BEGINS CONFERENCE PLAY WITH HOME/ROAD WEEK
After an 11-1 nonconference season, the Wildcats will begin the 10-week grind of Pac-12 play this week with one home match and one road match. Arizona opens the conference slate at McKale with a Red Out vs. Arizona State on Thursday (7 p.m. MST) before heading to Palo Alto, California, to take on second-ranked Stanford on Sunday (12 p.m.), UA's first ranked opponent of the season. Both matches will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.

QUICK HITS

• Following a 3-0 weekend at the Wildcat Classic, Arizona will head into Pac-12 play 11-1 on the season, already matching their win total from last season, four weeks into 2018.
• Arizona's 11-1 start marks its best 12-match start since 2014. This marks the eighth time in school history that the Wildcats have won at least 11 of their first 12 matches: 1997 (11-1), 1998 (11-1), 2000 (11-1), 2005 (11-1), 2008 (11-1), 2009 (12-0) and 2014 (11-1).
• Last weekend, 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 501 for his career entering this week.
• The Wildcats enter the week third in the nation (and first among all Pac-12 teams) in kills/set (14.98). Since sets were reduced from 30 to 25 points in 2008, Arizona's best offensive mark for a season was 13.94 kills/set in 2015 and 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 5.40 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in every match that she has played in this season (11-of-12), the longest 15-plus-kill streak in school history. 
• Dahlke's 216 kills this season include her 1,000th in her career; she became the 18th player in school history reach the 1,000-kill milestone in week 2 vs. Lipscomb. The senior enters this weekend 83 kills shy of cracking the UA top 10 in career kills.
• 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 12th in the NCAA, averaging 11.47 assists/set. 
• Despite having the conference leader in kills and attempts per set (Kendra Dahlke), Patterson spreads the sets around. Five different Wildcats average more than two kills per set (Kendra Dahlke - 5.40, Paige Whipple - 2.84, Devyn Cross - 2.33, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Katie Smoot - 2.00), which, along with Oregon, is the most in the Pac-12.
• Arizona's offense ranks first in the Pac-12 in kills (14.98/set), third in assists (13.47/set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.260) after finishing 11th (12.50 kills/set), 11th (11.56 assists/set) and 12th (.204 hitting percentage), respectively, in the league in 2017.
• While the hot start for the UA offense has been notable, the Wildcat defense has been impressive as well to start the season. Arizona has held 10 of its last 12 opponents under .200 hitting and currently ranks second in the Pac-12 in opponent hitting percentage (.155). UA is in the top half of the Pac-12 in digs per set (5th - 15.49) and blocks (6th - 2.42).
• Arizona is 6-0 this season at home and has only lost one set in the six matches.
• 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 49-43 all-time vs. Arizona State and swept the Sun Devils last season (full recap on page 5). The Wildcats have won the last 10 meetings in McKale.
• Stanford is 67-8 all-time against Arizona and swept the Wildcats last season (full recap on page 6). Stanford has won three straight overall in the series and 22 of the last 23.

COACHES

• Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 501-310)
• Arizona State: Sanja Tomasevic (2nd year; 19-25)
• Stanford: Kevin Hambly (2nd year; 38-5)

OPPONENTS

• Arizona State (9-3) went 2-1 at the Sparky Classic with four-set victories over NAU and Gonzaga and a straight-set loss to Texas State. Ivana Jeremic leads the Sun Devils, averaging 3.80 kills and 2.85 digs per set. ASU is second in the league in digs (16.48/set), led by Courtney Leffel (4.32/set). The Sun Devils come into the weekend looking for their first conference victory since 2016. 
• Stanford (8-1) has won its last six matches, the last four of which have come against top-five opponents, all in four sets or fewer. The last two weeks, Stanford has defeated No. 5 Penn State (3-0), No. 1 Minnesota (3-1), and No. 3 Texas twice (3-0, 3-1). Stanford's lone loss this season was an opening-week defeat to now No. 1 BYU (3-2) in Provo, Utah. The Cardinal lead the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.307) and blocks/set (3.16).

MR. 500

• At last week'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 623 matches. Those 623 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.