THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 31 | Wednesday, Nov. 21 |  3,  2 | Recap | Box Score (PDF) | Photo Gallery
Match 32 | Saturday, Nov. 24 (7 p.m.) |  at  | Pac-12 Arizona | Live Stats | Twitter Updates | Tickets

 

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QUICK HITS

• The final week of the regular season has arrived for 23rd-ranked Arizona, which hosts California on Wednesday before finishing up the regular season at Arizona State on Saturday in Tempe.
• The Wildcats are coming off a home split against No. 14 USC (L, 2-3) and No. 25 UCLA (W, 3-0), their fourth straight 1-1 weekend.
• Arizona's victory vs. UCLA was its 20th of the season. The Wildcats have now won 20+ matches 18 teams in school history, including 14 times in head coach Dave Rubio's 27 seasons in Tucson. UA has already won nine more matches than it did last year, its largest win increase since 1992 (10 wins) to 1993 (20 wins).
• With Selection Sunday looming, Arizona will hope to take care of business in the final week of the regular season and strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume. Arizona's RPI sits at 41, but the Wildcats have six RPI top-50 wins, which is tied for 13th most in the NCAA.
• The Wildcats have been without their full starting lineup all of Pac-12 play, a trend that will likely continue this weekend. Six starters have missed time in conference play: outside hitter Kendra Dahlke (4.91 kills/set) missed five matches (concussion/sprained foot) before returning on Nov. 9, outside hitter Paige Whipple (3.12 kills/set) missed two matches with a concussion, outside hitter Katie Smoot (2.35 kills/set) missed two matches with a pulled abdomen muscle, right side hitter Elizabeth Shelton (2.14 kills/set) has missed all 18 Pac-12 matches with a concussion and remains out indefinitely, middle blocker Devyn Cross (2.13 kills/set) missed three straight matches with a concussion before returning last week and libero Makenna Martin (3.44 digs/set) missed one match with a groin injury.
• The Wildcats moved moved up one spot in this week's AVCA Top 25 to No. 23. UA is making its 323rd all-time appearance in the poll, 10th most in the NCAA.
• UA is one of only two teams in the AVCA Top 25 to have finished 2017 with an under .500 record; every other team currently ranked won at least 18 matches last season (UA went 11-18, Tennessee went 12-15).
• Earlier this season, head coach Dave Rubio became the second coach in Pac-10/12 history to surpass 500 career wins as a league coach, winning No. 500 vs. New Mexico State (Sept. 14). He's now at 510 for his career entering this week.
• The Wildcats enter the week 26th in the nation (and fourth in the Pac-12) in kills/set (14.00). Since sets were reduced from 30 to 25 points in 2008, Arizona's best offensive mark for a season was 13.94 kills/set, done twice (2015, 2016).
• Kendra Dahlke, who returned on Nov. 9 after a two-week absence with a sprained foot, leads the Pac-12 and is fourth in the nation, averaging 4.91 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in 19 of the 24 matches she has played in this season, including the first 11 matches, the longest 15-plus-kill streak in school history. Dahlke is fourth in the Pac-12 in double-doubles (14) and is second in points/set (5.26).
• Dahlke's 447 kills this season include No. 1,000 in her career; she became the 18th player in school history reach the 1,000-kill milestone in week 2 vs. Lipscomb and now has climbed into the Arizona top 10 in career kills (7th - 1,368). The senior enters this weekend 103 kills shy of sixth place (Lisa Rutledge - 1,471). She is trying to become the fourth Wildcat to average over 4.90 kills per set, and the second to do it since sets were played to 25 (Madi Kingdon, 2014 - 5.33).
• Devyn Cross is one of only three players in the Pac-12 hitting .350 or better with more than 100 blocks. She ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.367) and 16th in the league, averaging 1.06 blocks/set.
• Arizona's starting middle blockers, Devyn Cross (.385) and Shardonee Hayes (.419) are hitting a combined .400 in Pac-12 matches.
• Much of UA's offensive success can be attributed to junior setter Julia Patterson, who is second in the Pac-12 and 16th nationally with 1,241 assists this season. She leads the league with 18 double-doubles, including her last 10 matches. With 105 more assists this year, she would crack Arizona's top-10 in assists in a season. 
• Last month, Julia Patterson became the ninth player in Arizona history to surpass 2,000 career assists vs. Oregon (10/28). She sits ninth in school history with 2,286 assists, and has done it in under two years as UA's starting setter. 
• Despite having the conference leader in kills and attempts per set (Kendra Dahlke), Patterson spreads the sets around. Seven different Wildcats average 1.19 kills/set or more (Kendra Dahlke - 4.91, Paige Whipple - 3.12, Katie Smoot - 2.35, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Devyn Cross - 2.13, Candice Denny - 1.79, Shardonee Hayes - 1.19), which is the most in the Pac-12 (min. 16 sets played).
• Arizona's offense ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in kills (14.04/set), fifth in assists (12.83/set) and seventh in hitting percentage (.238) after finishing 11th (12.50 kills/set), 11th (11.56 assists/set) and 12th (.204 hitting percentage), respectively, in the league in 2017.
• Arizona is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. Prior to missing the tournament last year, UA had been to seven of the previous eight NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by a Sweet 16 run in 2016. In all, Arizona has been to the NCAA Tournament in 19 of head coach Dave Rubio's 26 years and 28 times overall. The Wildcats enter the final week of the regular season with an RPI of 41.

ARIZONA HOSTS CALIFORNIA ON WEDNESDAY, HEADS TO ARIZONA STATE ON SATURDAY
The 2018 regular season will come to an end this week as the 23rd-ranked Arizona Wildcats (20-10, 9-9) will wrap things up with a rare week that includes one home match and one road match. The Wildcats will host California (15-14, 7-11 Pac-12) on Wednesday for senior day before heading to Arizona State on Saturday for the finale (14-16, 5-13 Pac-12). One win this week would put the Cats at .500 in Pac-12 play (10-10), two wins would put them above .500 (11-9). How rare is that? In the last 13 seasons, UA has finished exactly .500 four times and has finished above .500 just once (2014). Arizona will celebrate a trio of seniors prior to Wednesday's match; the Cats will celebrate the careers  of Kendra Dahlke, Mackenzie Hernandez and Victoria Svorinic. With three seasons of at least 19 wins, two NCAA Tournament appearances (with a potential for a third this season) and 70 total wins entering this week, the three have left an incredible mark on Arizona volleyball. Wednesday's match, which begins at 4 p.m. MST, will stream at pac-12.com/live while Saturday's territorial cup battle, which begins at 7 p.m. MST, will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks (Daron Sutton, Cassidy Pickrell). Live stats for both matches are available at arizonalivestats.com.

SERIES HISTORY

• Arizona is 40-25 all-time vs. California and has won the last four meetings in McKale, including a sweep last season (full recap on page 6). The two teams have won on their home courts in each of the last two seasons. 
• Arizona is 50-43 all-time vs. Arizona State, and has won each of the last three meetings, including a sweep in McKale Center earlier this season (full recap on page 6). The home team in this series has had a distinct advantage in this series in recent years; Arizona has won the last 11 meetings in McKale, ASU is 6-4 in Wells Fargo Arena over the same time frame. 

COACHES

• Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 509-318)
• Cal: Jennifer Dorr (1st year; 15-14) 
• Arizona State: Sanja Tomasevic (2nd year; 24-38)

OPPONENTS

• California (15-14, 7-11 Pac-12) has split each of the last seven conference weeks, including last week in which it lost to #20 Washington (1-3) and defeated #18 Washington State (3-1) on the road. The Bears own five top-50 RPI wins this season. Cal is led by Mimi Mirkovic, who leads the team with 3.45 kills and 3.08 digs per set.  
• Arizona State (14-16, 5-13 Pac-12) defeated #14 USC last Sunday (3-1), ending a stretch of 11 straight losses for the Sun Devils. Of ASU's five conference wins, three have come against top-15 teams. The Sun Devils are second in the league in digs/set (16.47), led by Courtney Leffel, who is sixth in the Pac-12, averaging 4.51 digs/set.

RANKINGS

• Arizona moved up one spot in the AVCA Top 25 this week from No. 24 to No. 23.
• The Wildcats have been ranked 323 total weeks in the AVCA Top 25, dating back to 1982, the 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
• UA is 3-7 vs. ranked opponents this year.
• The Wildcats remained No. 41 in this week's NCAA RPI.
• The Pac-12 has six teams ranked in this week's AVCA Top 25.

MR. 500

• At this season's Wildcat Classic, Arizona head coach Dave Rubio won his 500th match at Arizona, becoming the second coach in Pac-10/12 history to reach 500 career victories as a coach in the league, joining legendary UCLA coach Andy Banachowski (619 wins, 1986-2009) as the only ones to reach the milestone.
• Rubio also joined a legendary group of Arizona coaches to win 500 games as a Wildcat: Mike Candrea (softball; 1986-present), Jerry Kindall (baseball; 1973-1996), Frank Sancet (baseball; 1950-1972), Lute Olson (men's basketball, 1983-2007) and Fred Enke (men's basketball; 1925-1961).
• Including his 122 victories at Division II Cal State Bakersfield, where he began his career from 1987-1991, Rubio has won 632 matches. Those 632 victories rank 16th among all active Division I coaches.   

TOP-10 CATS

• Kendra Dahkle leads the Pac-12 in kills (4.91/set), is second in points (5.26/set) and is fourth in double-doubles (14). Dahlke is trying to become the first Wildcat since Kim Glass in 2005 to lead the Pac-12 in kills (5.48/set).
• Julia Patterson is fourth in the conference and 33rd nationally, averaging 10.89 assists/set. In just under two seasons as UA's starting setter, Patterson has already cracked the Arizona career top 10 in assists (9th - 2,286). On Oct. 28 (vs. Oregon), she became the ninth player in school history to pass 2,000 career assists. 
• Devyn Cross is fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.367) overall and is hitting .385 in conference matches, second in the league. 
• Makenna Martin ranks 10th in the Pac-12, averaging 3.49 digs/set. She led UA in digs in 2017 (2.87/set).

WILD KITTENS

• Arizona was one of the youngest teams in the country a season ago, when UA started three freshmen and two sophomores. A year later, the Wildcats gained experience, but in the big picture, remain one of the youngest teams in the country.
• UA has 13 underclassmen (7 freshmen, 6 sophomores). This, along with UCLA, is the most in the Pac-12.

RUN IT BACK

• Arizona returns all six starters and its libero, seven of 11 returning letterwinners, from last season. The Wildcats are the only team in the Pac-12 to return all six starters from last year.
• The Wildcats return 78% of their kills (1,057-of-1,363), 93% of their assists (1,177-of-1,260), 73% of their digs (1,102-of-1,502) and 76% of their blocks from last season.
• Arizona's freshman class in 2017 was one of its best in school history. Four freshmen (Paige Whipple - 213; Elizabeth Shelton - 187; Candice Denny - 106; Katie Smoot - 71) had more than 60 kills last year for the first time in school history. Candice Denny had the third best hitting percentage in UA freshman history (.302) and Paige Whipple had the ninth most digs (213) by a freshman in school history to go along with her 213 kills.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Devyn Cross is 31 kills shy of 500 for her career and five blocks from 300 from her career.
• Kendra Dahlke is 32 kills shy of becoming the seventh player in Arizona history to reach 1,400 career kills. Dahlke is 53 kills shy of of becoming the fifth player in school history to record 500 kills in a season.
• Candice Denny is four blocks from 100 for her career.
• Julia Patterson, who has 1,241 assists this year, is 105 assists shy of moving into the school's season assists top 10. Patterson, who has 2,286 career assists, can move from ninth to eighth in UA history with 406 more assists.

UP NEXT

• The Wildcats and the rest of the NCAA Tournament hopeful teams will find out their postseason fate on Sunday, when the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee will reveal the 2018 NCAA Tournament Division I bracket on Sunday, Nov. 25 at 6:30 p.m. MST on ESPNU.