TUCSON, Ariz. – The 17th-ranked Arizona volleyball team swept Texas State (25-5, 25-22, 25-13) and Abilene Christian (25-13, 25-16, 25-12) to finish the SMU Invite unbeaten and begin the season 3-0 for the second consecutive season.
Saturday's sweep came after a four-set victory at SMU to open the season on Friday.
“It was a terrific weekend,” said head coach Dave Rubio. “The SMU match was a big match for us. They're going to win a lot of matches, so it's a good RPI game for us. They returned most of their team that won 26 games last year. To be able to beat an experienced group like they were with the young team we have on the road says a lot about the character of our team.”
Match 1 – Arizona 3, Texas State 0 (25-5, 25-22, 25-13)
The Wildcats took the first 19 points of the match on Saturday morning and never looked back. Arizona made quick work of its first opponent of the day, defeating Texas State in straight sets (25-5, 25-22, 25-13).
“I'm always hopeful our intensity won't change regardless of the opponent, and coming off a good win and a late night last night, it was nice to see us come out the way we did today,” said Rubio. “I thought Kalei (Mau), Penina (Snuka) and Halli (Amaro) showed a lot of leadership out there.”
Redshirt sophomore middle blocker McKenzie Jacobson needed just 16 swings to register a career-high 12 kills, giving her a .750 hitting percentage for the match, tied for third best in school history.
Senior Halli Amaro recorded seven kills on just 12 attacks as the Cats blitzed the Bobcats from the middle.
Arizona hit .386 as a team in the match, its highest hitting percentage since hitting .409 vs. UMBC on Sep. 20, 2014.
Arizona opened the first set on a 19-0 run, believed to be the largest run in school history, and cruised to a 25-5 first-set victory, tied for the most decisive set victory in school history. UA defeated Chicago State 25-5 in the opening set on Sept. 12, 2008.
The Bobcats responded with a much more competitive second set, but Arizona's middles proved to be too much as the Cats took the game, 25-22. Jacobson (4) and Amaro (3) totaled seven kills in the set.
UA overwhelmed the Bobcats in the third, downing Texas State 25-13 in the decisive set.
Match 2 – Arizona 3, Abilene Christian 0 (25-13, 25-16, 25-12)
Arizona trailed just once in the three sets as Arizona completed the sweep of the SMU Invite with a straight-set victory over Abilene Christian (25-13, 25-16, 25-12).
Head coach Dave Rubio played 11 players in the match, resting starters Kalei Mau (DNP) and Halli Amaro (1 set). Redshirt freshman Jade Turner saw the first action of her career and posted three kills on six swings.
“It was nice to be able to play another lineup and rest Kalei and Halli,” said Rubio. “It was good, almost everyone got a chance to play. After how hard they've been working, they deserved it.”
Seven different Wildcats had three or more kills, led by Nikki Attea's 10, accomplished on .409 hitting. As a team, UA hit .273 while limiting Abilene Christian to a .022 mark.
Penina Snuka, who led the Pac-12 with 25 double-doubles a season ago, picked up her third in as many matches this year with 24 assists and 10 digs. Mackenzie Kleespies, receiving her first start as UA's libero, led the team with 12 digs.
Arizona got the best of ACU in a sloppy first set, 25-13, limiting the Wildcats to -.053 hitting in the frame.
In a much crisper second set, UA hit .357 to ACU's .103 and, led by four kills from Attea, defeated ACU 25-16 in the second.
The Cats closed out the match with a decisive 25-12 victory in the third. Three aces, two by Kendra Dahlke, highlighted the frame.
Up Next: Arizona begins its home slate when it welcomes South Dakota, Florida A&M and Cal State Northridge for the Arizona Invitational Sept. 4 and 5. The Cats open the Invitational against South Dakota at 6 p.m. on Friday before concluding the event on Saturday against Florida A&M (10 a.m.) and Cal State Northridge (7 p.m.).
Follow Arizona Volleyball: For further coverage of Arizona volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts (@ArizonaVBall).
