ARIZONA vs. Oregon State (Nov. 9 • McKale Center)
ARIZONA vs. #16 Oregon (Nov. 12 • McKale Center)
THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 24 | Thursday, Nov. 9 (8 p.m.) |
3,
0 |
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Box Score |
Photo Gallery
Match 25 | Sunday, Nov. 12 (12 p.m.) |
vs.
| Tucson, Ariz. (McKale Center) |
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WEEKLY NOTES
CATS RETURN HOME TO FACE OREGON STATE AND OREGON
With just three weeks and three home matches remaining in the 2017 season, Arizona volleyball (9-14, 3-11 Pac-12) is set to face Oregon State (17-9, 7-7 Pac-12) and No. 16 Oregon (15-7, 8-6 Pac-12) at McKale Center this week. The Wildcats are coming off an 0-2 weekend in Los Angeles, and, though it may not show up in the W-L column, the Cats played well in both matches, including taking 17th-ranked USC to five sets on Sunday. Arizona was unable to close out the Trojans, something it has struggled with throughout the Pac-12 season; UA is 0-4 in five set matches, with three of those losses coming to teams currently ranked in the top 25. One of those five-set losses came to then-No. 15 Oregon in Eugene on Oct. 20. The Cats will attempt to avenge that loss along with a straight-set loss to Oregon State in Corvallis on Oct. 18. UA takes on Oregon State at 8 p.m. on Thursday on the Pac-12 Networks before wrapping up the week against Oregon at noon on Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY
- Arizona holds a 48-16 all-time lead in the series with Oregon State, but the Beavers have won two straight in the series, including a sweep in Corvallis earlier this year (25-11, 25-15, 25-18).
- The Wildcats have won 45 of the 65 meetings between Oregon and Arizona. Oregon defeated Arizona in five sets earlier this year in Eugene (25-22, 23-25, 18-25, 25-9, 15-10).
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 488-305 at UA.
- Oregon State head coach Mark Barnard is 29-28 in his second year in Corvallis.
- Matt Ulmer is in his first year as head coach at Oregon.
CATS AT A GLANCE
- In Arizona's 23 matches this year, the Wildcats have used 15 different lineups, including eight different lineups in their last 11 matches.
- After entering last week with 31 kills and 22 blocks over Arizona's first 21 matches of the season, McKenzie Jacobson had 18 kills and 11 blocks in Arizona's two matches in Los Angeles last week. She hit .455 to raise her season hitting percentage to a team-best .353 and career hitting percentage to .292, ninth best in Arizona history.
- Arizona has four freshmen with 60 or-more kills this season (Paige Whipple - 170, Elizabeth Shelton - 142, Candice Denny - 73 and Katie Smoot - 75) for the first time in school history.
- Freshmen and sophomores account for 54% of Arizona's kills (589-of-1,089), 92% of Arizona's assists (937-of-1,014), 62% of Arizona's digs (732-of-1,179) and 62% of Arizona's blocks.
OPPONENTS
Oregon State (17-9, 7-7 Pac-12)
- Oregon State has won six of its last eight matches after starting the Pac-12 season 1-5. The Beavers split a pair of sweeps in the Bay last week to No. 2 Stanford (L, 0-3) and California (W, 3-0).
- Senior outside hitter Mary-Kate Marshall leads the Pac-12 in both kills/set (4.60) and points/set (5.33).
#16 Oregon (15-7, 8-6 Pac-12)
- The 16th-ranked Ducks come to Tucson following a split in the Bay Area with a sweep of California and a straight-set loss to No. 2 Stanford. Oregon has won five of its last seven matches overall.
- The Ducks hit .271 as a team, second best in the league, led by sophomore Ronika Stone (.372).
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 seven teams in the Top 25: No. 2 Stanford, No. 13 Washington, No. 15 Utah, No. 16 Oregon, No. 17 USC, No. 18 UCLA and No. 25 Colorado. Oregon State is receiving votes.
- UA is 1-7 this season vs. ranked opponents.
SPREADING THE LOVE
- Eight different Wildcats average more than one kill per set, tied for the most of any team in the conference.
- UA has 10 players with at least 50 kills on the year, also the most of any team in the league. The other 11 teams have an average of six players with more than 30 kills on the year.
- Six different Wildcats have led Arizona in kills in a match this year.
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 14 Pac-12 matches, Dahlke has 185 kills and is ninth in the Pac-12 in kills/set in conference matches (3.49).
- 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 10.15 assists/set, fifth most in the Pac-12, and 2.29 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 sixth in the Pac-12 lead with 10 double-doubles this year.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
- Four freshmen have played huge roles for the Wildcats this season: OPP Elizabeth Shelton (16 starts), OH Paige Whipple (15 starts), MB Candice Denny (9 starts) and Katie Smoot (2 starts).
- All four have 60-or-more kills this year, marking the first time in school history that UA has had four freshmen with 60-plus kills.
RUBIO AND STAFF RECRUITING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
WILD KITTENS
- Arizona has eight freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and just three 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.
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 visits Colorado (Friday) and Utah (Saturday) next week.
