THE GAMES (Times MST)
1 | Wednesday, Oct. 18 (7 p.m.) |
3,
0 |
Recap |
Box Score
2 | Friday, Oct. 20 (8 p.m.) |
at
| Eugene, Ore. (Matthew Knight Arena) |
Pac-12 Arizona/Oregon |
Live Stats |
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WEEKLY NOTES
QUICK TURNAROUND PUTS THE CATS IN OREGON ON WEDNESDAY
Arizona volleyball (8-9, 2-6 Pac-12) faces a quick turnaround this week. Following a five-set loss to Colorado on Sunday afternoon, the Wildcats will head to the Beaver State where they will face Oregon State (13-7, 3-5 Pac-12) and 15th-ranked Oregon (11-5, 4-4 Pac-12) on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. The Cats are coming off a pair of hard-fought losses to a couple of teams receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25; UA lost to No. 13 Utah in four sets last Friday and to Colorado in five sets on Sunday. Now, two more teams receiving votes await the Wildcats; Oregon State received votes this week after winning a pair of five setters at No. 14 Washington and Washington State while Oregon is ranked 15th this week. Both matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
SERIES HISTORY
- Arizona holds a 48-14 all-time lead in the series with Oregon State, but the Beavers have won the last two matchups in Corvallis. Last year, UA swept the match in Tucson (25-21, 25-14, 25-18) but fell in four sets in Corvallis (25-23, 20-25, 23-25, 20-25). A full recap of last year's matches can be found on page 4.
- The Wildcats have won 45 of the 64 meetings between Oregon and Arizona. The teams split last year's meetings, each winning on the other's home court. Oregon won in four sets in McKale before the Cats defeated the ducks in five in Eugene. A full recap of last year's match can be found on page 5.
COACHES
- Arizona head coach Dave Rubio is in his 26th season with the Wildcats. The conference's active leader in wins a Pac-12 coach, Rubio is 487-300 at UA.
- Oregon State head coach Mark Barnard is 25-26 in his second year in Corvallis.
- Matt Ulmer is in his first year as head coach at Oregon.
CATS AT A GLANCE
- With Arizona's victory over 15th-ranked USC on Friday, Arizona is now 9-7 in its last 16 matches vs. ranked opponents, dating back to last year. UA is 1-2 this season.
- In Arizona's 17 matches this year, the Wildcats have used 12 different lineups. The Wildcats have used five different lineups in their last six matches.
- Julia Patterson had a career-high 58 earlier this season at Cal. Only one player in the conference (Jenna Gray - Stanford) has had more in one match this year. The first-year starter is fifth in Pac-12, averaging 10.64 assists per set. Patterson has eight double-doubles this year, two off the Pac-12 lead.
- Arizona has had double-digit blocks in 11 of its 17 matches (65%). UA had 10-or-more blocks in just 15 total matches last season (43%).
- Freshmen and sophomores account for 55% of Arizona's kills (464-of-840), 93% of Arizona's assists (721-of-776), 63% of Arizona's digs (573-of-913) and 65% of Arizona's blocks.
- When leading its opponent in hitting percentage, Arizona is 8-0. When trailing, the Wildcats are 0-9.
OPPONENTS
Oregon State (13-7, 3-5 Pac-12)
- The Beavers received votes in this week's AVCA Top 25 after defeating 14th-ranked Washington and Washington State on the road last week. OSU won booth matches in five sets.
- The Wildcats will need to find an answer for senior outside hitter Mary-Kate Marshall, who averages 4.57 kills/set, second in the Pac-12.
#15 Oregon (11-5, 4-4 Pac-12)
- The Ducks have split each weekend of Pac-12 play, most recently, splitting with No. 14 Washington (L, 2-3) and Washington State (W, 3-2) on the road.
- Oregon averages 2.48 blocks/set and have two players over a block per set: Sumeet Gill (1.20) and Ronika Stone (1.05).
RANKINGS
- Arizona did not receive votes in this week's AVCA Top 25.
- Arizona was ranked 24th in the preseason top 25, marking Arizona's 314th week in the AVCA Top 25, dating back to 1982. That's 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
- The Pac-12 has six teams in the Top 25: No. 2 Stanford, No. 12 Utah, No. 13 UCLA, No. 14 Washington, No. 15 Oregon and No. 19 USC. Oregon State is receiving votes.
- UA is 1-3 this season vs. ranked opponents.
SPREADING THE LOVE
- Eight Wildcats average more than kill per set, tied for the most of any team in the conference.
- UA had 10 players with at least 30 kills on the year, also the most of any team in the league. The other 11 teams have an average of 6.7 players with more than 30 kills on the year.
- Five different Wildcats have led Arizona in kills in a match this year. That already equals UA's total from 2016.
DAHLKE'S RESURGENCE
- After struggling out of the gates this season, Kendra Dahlke is returning to form in conference play, helping reshape Arizona's offense. In nine nonconference matches, Dahlke had just 61 kills and was hitting .100. In eight Pac-12 matches, Dahlke has 112 kills and is eighth in the conference in kills/set in conference matches (3.73).
- Dahlke is coming off a breakout campaign in 2016, a season in which she averaged 3.95 kills and 4.35 points per set. Those figures ranked fourth and sixth in the Pac-12, up from 1.57 kills and 1.72 points per set as a freshman in 2015.
BIG SHOES TO FILL
- This season, sophomore setter Julia Patterson is tasked with replacing All-American Penina Snuka, the 2016 Pac-12 Setter of the Year. So far, so good. Patterson is averaging 10.64 assists/set, fifth most in the Pac-12, and 2.55 digs/set.
- As the understudy of the best digging setter in UA history, Patterson must have picked up a thing or two. Snuka led the Pac-12 in double-doubles all four seasons as UA. Patterson is two off the Pac-12 lead with eight double-doubles this year.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
- Recently, Arizona's starting lineup has featured a trio of freshmen hitters. Paige Whipple (OH), Elizabeth Shelton (OPP) and Candice Denny (MB).
- The three are third, fourth and fifth on the team in kills/set this season: (Whipple - 2.48, Shelton - 2.25, Denny - 1.54). All three of them average more than 0.50 blocks/set as well.
- Candice Denny is hitting .431 in conference matches, that's second best in the Pac-12.
RUBIO AND STAFF RECRUITING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
WILD KITTENS
- Arizona has eight freshmen, five sophomores, four juniors and just two seniors. Arizona's 13 underclassmen are the most in the Pac-12.
- Through graduation/transfer, Arizona lost six players who combined for 737 total sets played in 2016. The nine returners combined for 550 sets last season and 946 for their entire careers.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
- Over the last four seasons, much of Arizona's identity has been its backrow defense. UA led the Pac-12 in digs/set from 2013-15 and finished third in 2016 (15.67).
- However, four of the six players that averaged more than a dig per set last season graduated, including libero Laura Larson and setter Penina Snuka, two of the top five diggers in UA history.
- This season, UA is averaging 14.27 digs/set (seventh in the Pac-12) led by libero Kimberly Gutierrez's 2.73 digs/set.
GOING STREAKING
- With Arizona's sweep of #15 USC this season, UA extended a streak of now seven straight seasons in which the Wildcats have upset either USC or UCLA while they were ranked. (2016 - #22, #25 USC & #18, #9 UCLA; 2015 - #11 UCLA; 2014 - #20 UCLA; 2013 - #1 USC; 2012 - #5 UCLA; 2011 - #2 UCLA twice).
UP NEXT
- Arizona begins the second half of Pac-12 play at home next week, welcoming California and Stanford to McKale on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
