TUCSON, Ariz.– Arizona was able to advance to the semi-finals on Day 2 of the Big 12 Championship after beating #4 seed and No. 15 overall South Carolina in round 1, 3-2. The Cats then faced #1 seed and No. 4 overall Florida State where the Seminoles were able to come on top, 3-0, and advance to the championship.
Arizona finished the season with 23 wins, the second most in program history. The SandCats also picked up four ranked wins and 10 sweeps throughout the course of the season. The Cats spent 8 weeks in the AVCA rankings with their highest rank being 19.
Game 1 {6} No. 20 Arizona – 3, {4} No. 15 South Carolina – 2
Jamie Streit and
Sophia Winter were first to finish up in the duel. The pair battled hard but came up short in straight-sets, 15-21, 16-21, as South Carolina took the 1-0 lead.
Carlie Cisneros and
Regan Holmer got the day started for Arizona. The duo was able to pick up its second win of the season against the Gamecocks, winning in straight-sets, 21-17, 21-19, tying up the duel at 1-1.
Adriana Nieves and
Meghan O'Meara fought hard in their match but came up just short as the Gamecocks added another point winning in straight-sets, 19-21, 15-21, giving South Carolina the lead back.
Ashlyn Zilliken and
Madeline Walker also picked up their second win over the Gamecocks on the season. The #2 pair picked up their second ranked win on the weekend in straight-sets, 21-19, 21-18, to even up the duel at 2-2.
Brooke Boyko and
Sadie Moore finished up last in the duel in an exciting match. The pair took set one, 22-20, but dropped an extended set two, 26-28, and headed to a third set. The duo battled hard and ended up coming out on top, 15-11, to give Arizona the top 15 upset and advance to the Big 12 Championship semi-finals.
Game 2 {6} No. 20 Arizona – 0, {1} No. 4 Florida St. – 3
Regan Holmer and
Carlie Cisneros finished first in the duel against the Seminoles. The pair came up short in straight-sets, 15-21, 11-21, to give Florida St. the lead.
Meghan O'Meara and Adriana Nieves fell short next, 11-21, 13-21, extending the Seminoles lead to 2-0.
Sophia Winter and
Jamie Streit fought-hard to keep the Cats in the duel but Florida St. was able to get the win over the #4 pair in straight-sets, 12-21, 17-21, giving the Seminoles the clinching point and the duel win 3-0.
Sadie Moore and
Brooke Boyko's as well as
Ashlyn Zilliken and
Madeline Walker match's went unfinished. Moore and Boyko took their first set, 27-25, before the match went unfinished. Zilliken and Walker dropped set 1, 15-21, as the match went unfinished in the second set.
{6} No. 20 Arizona – 3, {4} No. 15 South Carolina – 2
Match 1:
Regan Holmer and
Carlie Cisneros (ARIZ) def. Jolie Cranford and Peyton Yamagata (USC), 21-17, 21-19
Match 2:
Ashlyn Zilliken and
Madeline Walker (ARIZ) def. Brooke Balue and Rachel Hartmann (USC), 21-19, 21-18
Match 3: Evie Ziffer and Lauren Lawson (USC) def.
Meghan O'Meara and
Adriana Nieves Papaleo (ARIZ), 21-19, 21-15
Match 4: Juju Quintero and Julia Waugh (USC) def.
Sophia Winter and
Jamie Streit (ARIZ), 21-15, 21-16
Match 5:
Sadie Moore and
Brooke Boyko (ARIZ) def. Amelia Taft and Morgan Downs (USC), 22-20, 26-28, 15-11
{6} No. 20 Arizona – 0, {1} No. 12 Florida State– 3
Match 1: Alexis Durish and Audrey Koenig (FSU) def.
Regan Holmer and
Carlie Cisneros (ARIZ), 21-15, 21-11
Match 2:
Ashlyn Zilliken and
Madeline Walker (ARIZ) vs. Gella Andrew and Maddie Trusty (FSU), 15-21, 20-18, unfinished
Match 3: Kenzie Hultquist and Iane Henke (FSU) def.
Meghan O'Meara and Adri Nieves Papaleo (ARIZ), 21-11, 21-13
Match 4: Myriah Massey and Bailey Higgins (FSU) def.
Sophia Winter and
Jamie Streit (ARIZ) , 19-21, 21-17, 15-13
Match 5:
Sadie Moore and
Brooke Boyko (ARIZ) vs. Kyleene Filimaua and Saofe Duval, 27-25, 14-16, unfinished
