WEEK 2 (SEP. 5-6): ARIZONA INVITATIONAL // Tucson, Ariz.
No. 23 Arizona Wildcats (3-0) vs. Alabama State Hornets (2-2), Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (2-1), Cal State Northridge Matadors (3-0)
THE GAMES
Friday, Sep. 5
10:30 a.m. ARIZONA vs. Alabama State
12:30 p.m. Loyola-Chicago vs. Cal State Northridge
4:30 p.m. Cal State Northridge vs. Alabama State
7:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Loyola Chicago
Saturday, Sep. 6
3:30 p.m. Alabama State vs. Loyola-Chicago
6:00 p.m. ARIZONA vs. Cal State Northridge
FOLLOW THE CATS
Live Video: pac-12.com/videos/university-arizona
Live Stats: arizonalivestats.com
Live Updates: Twitter: @ArizonaVBall (twitter.com/ArizonaVBall)
THIS WEEK: After an impressive season-opening sweep of the Green Bay Tournament, Arizona returns home to host the first event in the newly-renovated McKale Center. The Wildcats will host Alabama State (2-2), Loyola-Chicago (2-1) and Cal State Northridge (3-0) in the two-day, six-game invitational. It will be the first home action for the Cats this season, who went 16-3 at home last season. The Arizona Invitational is the first of two nonconference home tournaments that Arizona will host this year (UA welcomes Coppin State, Tulane and UMBC Sep. 19-20 for the Wildcat Classic).
OPPONENTS
Alabama State: The Hornets opened the season 2-2 at the ISTAP Collegiate Cup, defeating Southern (25-14, 25-27, 25-18, 25-14) and South Carolina State (26-24, 25-13, 25-19) and falling to Tennessee Martin (22-25, 21-25, 25-16, 27-25, 15-8) and Murray State (23-25, 25-12, 25-15, 25-20). The Hornets hit .193 as a team and are led by Myla Marshall (2.69 kills/set) and Chelsey Scott (2.06 kills/set).
Loyola-Chicago: The Ramblers posted a 2-1 record to open the season at the Delaware Invitational, downing Delaware (22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 15-6) and Albany (25-20, 25-23, 25-22) while falling to Rhode Island (7-25, 20-25, 18-25). Loyola is led by Morgan Reardon, a preseason all-Missouri Valley Conference selection. The sophomore averaged 4.55 kills/set and picked up 59.5 points in the Ramblers opening weekend.
Cal State Northridge: The Matadors, the reigning Big West Champions, opened the season a perfect 3-0 at the UNLV Invitational, defeating the host Rebels twice (25-27, 25-18, 33-31, 25-21) and (16-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-12) and Western Kentucky (25-19, 25-20, 25-22). Ciena Stinson was awarded Big West Player of the Week after her 52-kill, four-block performance. Sam Kaul hit .476 while picking up 27 kills for CSUN.
SERIES HISTORY
Alabama State: Arizona and Alabama State have never met.
Loyola-Chicago: Arizona and Loyola-Chicago have never met.
Cal State Northridge: Arizona is 3-2 all-time against the Matadors, though CSUN did take the last meeting between the two, a five-set victory on Aug. 24, 2012 in Tucson. The teams first met in 1991.
HEAD COACH DAVE RUBIO: The longest active tenured volleyball coach in the Pac-12, Dave Rubio is in his 23rd season at the helm of the Arizona volleyball program. Rubio has led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 22 seasons as the head coach, including four of the last five seasons. Rubio, who guided the 2000 club to a Pac-10 title and the 2001 squad to the Final Four, holds a 419-247 (.629) all-time record at Arizona.
THE RANKINGS: Arizona moved into the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll with its perfect first week of competition, moving from unranked to 23rd. It marks the first time Arizona has appeared in the poll since being ranked 25th on Oct. 21, 2013. Arizona’s No. 23 ranking is its highest since being ranked 20th on Nov. 29, 2011. Arizona began the season unranked.
LAST TIME OUT: Arizona swept through the Green Bay Tournament, dropping just one set in the process. The Cats defeated South Dakota (25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19), Green Bay (25-15, 25-12, 25-21) and Kansas State (25-21, 25-18, 26-24). Madi Kingdon was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for her 64-kill effort on the weekend. Kingdon hit .361 on the weekend, leading Arizona to a .283 team hitting percentage.
8/29/14 - Cats Open Season with 3-1 Victory vs. South Dakota: Senior outside hitter Madi Kindgon notched her 16th-career 20-plus-kill match, leading Arizona to a season-opening 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-20, 25-19) victory over South Dakota on Friday afternoon in the Green Bay Tournament in the Kress Events Center.
Kingdon’s 23-kill effort moved her into a tie for fourth in Arizona history with the aforementioned 16 20-plus kill matches. The Phoenix, Ariz., native added 10 digs to pick up her first double-double of the year.
Sophomore setter Penina Snuka added a double-double as well, dishing out 40 assists to go along with a team-best 18 digs.
8/30/14 - Arizona Sweeps Doubleheader, Green Bay Tournament: A pair of three-set victories on Saturday helped Arizona to a perfect start to the 2014 season, as the Cats swept the Green Bay Tournament, falling in just one set in the three-game event.
On Saturday, the Wildcats defeated Green Bay 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-21) and Kansas State 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 26-24) to improve to 3-0 on the season.
Madi Kindgon was named to the tournament MVP. The senior outside hitter recorded 64 kills on 144 swings (.361 hitting percentage) while also compiling 33 digs, eight blocks, four aces and two assists.
Ronni Lewis (46 digs, 15 assists) and Penina Snuka (116 assists, 45 digs) were also named to the all-tournament team.
THE MADI KINGDON FILE: The citations keep coming in for senior outside hitter Madi Kingdon, who, after being named preseason all-Pac-12 team by the conference’s coaches for the second straight season, received the conference’s first Offensive Player of the Week award when she posted 64 kills and won tournament MVP honors at the Green Bay Tournament. The senior is on pace to leave Arizona in the career top 10 in six different categories (matches played, sets played, kills, 10+ kill matches, 20+ kill matches and attempts). Should Kingdon, who has played in all but two matches in her Arizona career, play in 31 matches this season (Arizona has 31 regular season matches scheduled), Kingdon will leave Arizona as the all-time leader in matches played. Additionally, Kingdon (342 sets played) is 75 sets from cracking the Arizona top 10 and 105 sets from catching Bre Ladd for Arizona’s all-time record. The senior has registered 1,373 kills as a Wildcat, already the sixth most in UA history. Kingdon has recorded 10 or more kills in 80 of her career 98 matches, fourth most in Arizona history, while her 17 20-plus-kill matches rank fourth all-time. Additionally, Kingdon’s 3,987 attempts rank fifth. Below is a complete list of Kingdon’s awards:
2014
Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (9/1)
Preseason All-Pac-12
2013
AVCA All-America (Honorable Mention)
AVCA All-Region (First Team)
All-Pac-12 (First team)
Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (10/21 & 9/23)
2012
All-Pac-12 (Honorable Mention)
RESPECT YOUR ELDERS: Arizona’s success this season will hinge greatly on the play and leadership of its senior class. All-American outside hitter Madi Kingdon will again be Arizona’s force on the outside while Ronni Lewis (libero), Rachel Rhoades (middle blocker) and Taylor Arizobal (outside hitter) provide Arizona with strength in experience and ability. The four, four-year Wildcats are joined this season by Kennedy Wesley (defensive specialist) a graduate transfer from Gonzaga who will be in the mix at libero for the Wildcats.
NEW DIGS: Historic McKale Center received a roughly-$30 million facelift prior to the 2014 season. The first phase of the multi-phase renovation included brand new seats in the arena, a new court, a new state-of-the-art video board, new LED screens around the arena, upgraded concessions and bathrooms in the concourse (still in progress) and a new locker room complete with a lounge area and kitchenette. Head coach Dave Rubio said of the facility, “Our goal was to have the nicest, most state-of-the-art locker room in the country. I think, thanks to our administration, that is exactly what we got. It’s pretty exciting and beautiful.”
FRESH FACES: Arizona has six newcomers this season, three freshmen and three Division I transfers. The exciting freshman class, which holds a lot of promise down the road consists of Brooke Dougherty, Brianna Houghton and Jade Turner. The transfers, who will all see action in 2014, are Whitney Hunt (Weber State), Kalei Mau (Minnesota) and Kennedy Wesley (Gonzaga).
UP NEXT: Arizona heads to the Texas Tournament Sep. 12 and 13 where it will take on third-ranked Texas (Friday at 5 p.m. PDT), Florida A&M (Saturday at 8:00 a.m.) and UCF (Saturday at 3:30 p.m.).
