TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona beat the Sun Devils 3-2 on Thursday night to kick off Pac-12 play. The Wildcats hit .237 and had a season high 16 blocks to hold Arizona State to a .110 hitting percentage. Jaelyn Hodge, Sofia Maldonado Diaz, and Puk Stubbe combined for 36 of Arizona's 49 kills.
 
Set 1 | Arizona - 23, Arizona State - 25
Arizona State took the first set 25-23. Jaelyn Hodge and Sofia Maldonado Diaz both had three kills, but the Sun Devils edged out the Wildcats. Emery Herman was part of three block assists and had one kill in Set 1.
 
Set 2 | Arizona - 25, Arizona State - 16
The Wildcats hit .407 in the second set, while holding Arizona State to a .000 hitting percentage. Maldonado Diaz led Arizona's offense with four kills on .364 hitting, one ace, and three block assists. Hodge tallied three kills on just one error to hit .333 in the set. The Wildcats' defense blocked eight attempts from the Sun Devils to help Arizona tie the match.
 
Set 3 | Arizona - 25, Arizona State - 17
In the third set, Arizona's defense stepped up with six kills to extend the lead to 2-1. Puk Stubbe led the defense with three blocks and added a kill and an ace for the Cats. Merle Weidt put down two kills and Zyonna Fellows contributed two blocks.
 
Set 4 | Arizona - 21, Arizona State - 25
Arizona State tied the match 2-2 in the fourth set. The Wildcats' six blocks weren't enough to keep the Sun Devils at bay. Hodge had three kills and Herman and Maldonado Diaz recorded two kills each.
 
Set 5 | Arizona - 21, Arizona State - 25
Arizona dominated the fifth set to win the match 3-2. Arizona hit a season best .478 in the final set, led by Hodge's five kills and Stubbe's four kills. Weidt tallied her eighth block of the match to secure the Wildcats' win over Arizona State.
 
Match Leaders
Kills: Jaelyn Hodge - 15
Assists: Emery Herman - 38
Digs: Kamaile Hiapo - 18
Blocks: Merle Weidt - 8
 
Arizona returns home on Sunday, September 26 to host Oregon State at 12 p.m. MST in the Wildcats' Pac-12 home opener.