TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona swept Alabama State on opening day of the season at the Wildcat Classic in McKale Center.
The Wildcats' offense tallied a .323 hitting percentage and 46 kills in the first game of the season.
Carlie Cisneros and
Jordan Wilson had 10 kills each for Arizona.
Adrianna Bridges had a breakout match, totaling eight kills with a .400 clip, one ace, and one dig.
Sydnie Vanek dominated the attack with six kills and a .714 hitting percentage.
Arizona took the first set, 25-16, and held the lead over Alabama State the entire set. The set began with Cisneros knocking down three kills to give the Cats an early lead. Cisneros totaled six kills and hit .667 in the set to lead the offense. Wilson followed with four kills while
Brenna Ginder contributed seven digs to help the defense hold the Hornets to a .135 hitting percentage.
The Cats won the second set, 25-15, to take a 2-0 lead over the Hornets After trading points in the first half of the set, Arizona took advantage of a 4-0 serving run by
Giorgia Mandotti to take the lead at 13-12. Bridges and Wilson totaled four kills apiece while freshman
Paige Thies made her collegiate debut with three kills in the second set. The Wildcats served three aces and held the Hornets to a .211 hitting percentage to win the second set.
Arizona won the match with a 25-20 win in set three. The Hornets tallied three blocks but the Cats out-hit Alabama State to secure their first victory of the season. Cisneros led the offense again with four kills while
Britt Carlson and Vanek added three kills each to help Arizona hold the lead the entire third set.
The Cats will continue the Wildcat Classic against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi on Saturday, August 30 at 12:30 p.m. MST in McKale Center. Admission to both of Saturday's matches will be free.
Parking Reminder for Saturday
Due to football game day, parking will be limited on Saturday. If you have a football parking pass, you may use it for the day. Starting at 11:00am, all surface lots will be restricted and entry to Cherry Garage will cost $5. After 1:00pm, the entry fee will shift to $20 for football parking.
