WEEK 8 || AT #21 WASHINGTON STATE, AT #10 WASHINGTON

MATCH 19 »  ARIZONA: 11-7, 1-6 Pac-12 at  #21 WASHINGTON STATE: 16-3, 5-2 Pac-12
Friday, Oct. 18 • 7 p.m. MST • Pullman, Wash. (Bohler Gym)
FINAL: #21 Washington State 3, Arizona 0 • Recap • Box Score

MATCH 20 »  ARIZONA: 11-7, 1-6 Pac-12 at  #10 WASHINGTON: 13-3, 4-2 Pac-12
Sunday, Oct. 13 • 12 p.m. MST • Seattle, Wash. (Alaska Airlines Arena)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Live Stream) • Live Stats • Follow on Twitter

• Arizona (10-7, 1-5 Pac-12) is set for the back half of two-week road trip vs. four ranked teams. This week, the Wildcats will face No. 21 Washington State (15-3, 4-2 Pac-12) and No. 10 Washington (13-3, 4-2 Pac-12). 
• The Wildcats will look to bounce back from a tough week in the Bay Area that saw the Wildcats fall to No. 2 Stanford and No. 16 California in straight sets.
• The Wildcats will face the Cougars at 7 p.m. on Friday before facing the Huskies on Sunday at noon.
• Live Coverage: Both matches will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks and streamed on pac-12.com/live ... Live stats for both matches are available at arizonastats.com ... Follow this weekend's action and all season long on Twitter (@ArizonaVBall).

• Devyn Cross leads the Pac-12 and is second nationally in hitting percentage (.461). Cross is trying to become the first Wildcat since Marissa DaLee in 2000 (.437, the Arizona single-season record) to lead the NCAA in hitting percentage.
• Last week, Julia Patterson became the seventh player in Arizona history to record 3,000 career assists, moving into seventh place in Arizona history. She enters this week with 3,001 career assists, 516 shy of sixth in UA history. 
• Arizona implemented a new offense this season, and while it's been a work in progress every week, it seems to be rounding into form at the right time. The Cats rank in the top half of the league in all three offensive categories: fourth in kills/set (13.28), fourth in hitting percentage (.255) and sixth in assists/set (12.20).
• While the offense has been improving every week, Arizona's defense has been solid all year long. Just four of Arizona's 17 opponents have hit above .250. The Wildcats have held their opponents to under .200 hitting in more than half (9-of-17) of their games this season.
• The Wildcats are 11-0 when posting a better hitting percentage than their opponents and 0-7 when they are outhit by their opponent. UA is 7-0 when hitting .300 or better and 9-0 when holding its opponents to .200 or worse.
• Arizona is currently without two starters due to concussion; middle blocker Shardonee Hayes has missed the last three matches while opposite Elizabeth Shelton missed last match at California.
• Head coach Dave Rubio is in his 28th season as the Wildcats' head coach. Last season, Rubio became the second coach in Pac-12 history to surpass 500 victories as a league coach and currently has a career record of 523-328 (.615) at Arizona and ranks 15th among all active coaches in the NCAA with 645 career wins, including his 122 wins at Cal State Bakersfield.

• Team Notes: Washington State has won three straight matches, including a sweep of Oregon and Oregon State in Pullman last week ... The Cougars are one of the best defensive teams in the conference, holding teams to a .145 hitting percentage; WSU ranks second in the Pac-12 in digs (13.21/set) and fourth in blocks (2.60/set), paced by Pac-12 leader Magda Jehlarova, who's fourth nationally with 1.57 blocks/set.  
• Head Coach: Jen Greeny (9th season; 147-133)
• Series History: Arizona 46, Washington State 19
  2018 (1-1) ||  Tucson: #22 Washington State 3, #21 Arizona 2; Pullman: #21 Arizona 3, #18 Washington State 3 

• Team Notes: Washington enters the week having won three straight matches after sweeping Oregon State and then coming back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Oregon in five sets ... Washington owns six wins vs. top-25 teams, including four top-10 wins ... Washington is led by one of the best players in the Pac-12, Kara Bajema, who is fourth in the conference averaging 4.29 kills/set and a team-high 0.29 aces/set.  
• Head Coach: Keegan Cook (5th season; 118-20)
• Series History: Washington 43, Arizona 25
  2018 (1-0) || Tucson: #15 Washington 3, #21 Arizona 0; Seattle: Washington 3, #21 Arizona 1