THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 27 | Friday, Nov. 9 |  3,  2 | Recap | Box Score (PDF)
Match 28 | Sunday, Nov. 11 (12 p.m.) |  at  | Live Stream | Live Stats | Twitter Updates

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LEADING OFF

• Week 12 has arrived and the 20th-ranked Wildcats are set for their second straight road trip. UA is set to face Utah (Friday) and Colorado (Sunday) this weekend.
• Two weeks ago, 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 2,111 assists, and has done it in under two years as UA's starting setter. Patterson has double-doubles in six straight matches and has taken over the Pac-12 lead with 14 this season. 
• 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 (5.05 kills/set) missed five of the last six matches with a concussion and now a sprained foot, outside hitter Paige Whipple (3.07 kills/set) missed two matches with a concussion, outside hitter Katie Smoot (2.45 kills/set) missed two matches with a pulled abdomen muscle, right side hitter Elizabeth Shelton (2.14 kills/set) has missed all 14 Pac-12 matches with a concussion and remains out indefinitely, middle blocker Devyn Cross (2.12 kills/set) missed last match with a concussion and libero Makenna Martin (3.64 digs/set) missed last match with a groin injury.
• Arizona is 18-8 (7-7 Pac-12) on the season; UA has already eclipsed its win total from 2017 (11) and already has twice as many Pac-12 road victories this season (3) as last year (1) in just seven tries.
• The Wildcats moved up one spot in this week's AVCA Top 25 to No. 20, their highest ranking since 2016. UA is making its 321st all-time appearance in the poll, 10th most in the NCAA.
• UA is the only team in the top 20 of 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).
• 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 508 for his career entering this week.
• The Wildcats enter the week 12th in the nation (and third in the Pac-12) in kills/set (14.28). 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 has missed two weeks with a sprained foot, leads the Pac-12 and is fourth in the nation, averaging 5.05 kills/set. She has had at least 15 kills in 16 of the 20 matches she has played in this season, including the first 11 matches, the longest 15-plus-kill streak in school history. Dahlke is tied for the Pac-12 lead in double-doubles (12) and is second in points/set (5.38).
• Dahlke's 369 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 - 1,290). The senior enters this weekend 181 kills shy of sixth place (Lisa Rutledge - 1,471). She is trying to become the fourth Wildcat to average over 5.00 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 two players in the Pac-12 hitting .360 or better with 90-or-more blocks. She ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in hitting percentage (.360) and 11th in the league, averaging 1.10 blocks/set.
• Cross is hitting .374 in league play, the third best mark in the conference. Arizona's other starting middle, Shardonee Hayes, does not have enough attempts to qualify for the rankings, but is hitting .474 in Pac-12 play.
• Much of UA's offensive success can be attributed to junior setter Julia Patterson, who sits fourth in the Pac-12 and 25th in the NCAA, averaging 11.10 assists/set. She leads the league with 14 double-doubles. 
• Despite having the conference leader in kills and attempts per set (Kendra Dahlke), Patterson spreads the sets around. Seven different Wildcats average 1.25 kills/set or more (Kendra Dahlke - 5.05, Paige Whipple - 3.07, Katie Smoot - 2.45, Elizabeth Shelton - 2.14, Devyn Cross - 2.12, Candice Denny - 1.71, Shardonee Hayes - 1.27), which is the most in the Pac-12 (min. 4 sets played).
• Arizona's offense ranks third in the Pac-12 in kills (14.28/set), fourth in assists (13.04/set) and fifth in hitting percentage (.241) 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.

CATS SET FOR SECOND STRAIGHT ROAD TRIP
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, No. 20 Arizona (18-8, 7-7 Pac-12) eyes its 18th 20-win season in program history and position itself for its 29th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cats will begin their quest to accomplish both goals this weekend at Utah (13-12, 5-9 Pac-12) and Colorado (14-11, 6-8 Pac-12). The Wildcats face the Utes on Friday in Salt Lake City and the Buffaloes on Sunday in Boulder. The Wildcats, who are coming off a road split at #18 Washington State (W, 3-2) and Washington (L, 1-3), swept Utah and Colorado at home earlier this season.

SERIES HISTORY

• Arizona owns a 25-7 all-time record vs. Utah and defeated the Utes in four sets in Tucson in the teams' first matchup this year (full recap on page 5).
• Colorado has won eight of the 14 all-time meetings, with Colorado's eight victories coming all in the last five years, in which the Buffaloes are 8-2. Arizona swept CU this season in Tucson  (full recap on page 5).

COACHES

• Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 508-317)
• Utah: Beth Launiere (29th year; 559-357) 
• Colorado: Jesse Mahoney (3rd year; 95-41)

OPPONENTS

• Utah (13-12, 5-9 Pac-12) enters this weekend having lost four of its last five matches dating back to its four-set loss in Tucson earlier this season, including an 0-2 weekend last weekend at California (L, 1-3) and #2 Stanford (L, 0-3). The Utes are led by Dani Drews, who averages 3.86 kills and 2.55 digs per set. 
• Colorado (14-11, 6-8 Pac-12) has split the last five weeks of Pac-12 play, including last weekend at California (W, 3-0) and #2 Stanford (L, 2-3). CU is second in the league in blocks (2.64/set), led by Naghede Abu, who is third in the conference (1.32/set).

RANKINGS

• Arizona moved up one spot in the AVCA Top 25 this week from No. 21 to No. 20, its highest ranking since finishing the 2016 season ranked No. 20.
• The Wildcats have been ranked 321 total weeks in the AVCAP Top 25, dating back to 1982, the 10th-most among all schools in Division I.
• UA is 2-6 vs. ranked opponents this year.
• The Wildcats moved up four spots to No. 39 in this week's NCAA RPI.

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 630 matches. Those 630 victories rank 16th among all active Division I coaches.   

TOP-10 CATS

• Kendra Dahkle leads the Pac-12 in kills (5.05/set), is second in points (5.38/set) and is third in double-doubles (12). 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 25th nationally, averaging 11.10 assists/set. In just under two seasons as UA's starting setter, Patterson has already cracked the Arizona career top 10 in assists (9th - 2,111). 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 (.360) overall and is hitting .374 in conference matches, third in the league. 
• Makenna Martin ranks 10th in the Pac-12, averaging 3.64 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.