THE GAMES (Times MST)
Match 1 | Friday, Aug. 24 |
3,
0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-19) |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
Match 2 | Friday, Aug. 24 |
3,
2 (15-25, 25-20, 25-19, 21-25, 15-4) |
Recap |
Box Score (PDF)
Match 3 | Saturday, Aug. 25 (1:30 p.m. MST) |
at
| Sacramento, Calif. (Colberg Court) |
Live Stream |
Live Stats |
Twitter Updates
WEEKLY NOTES
ARIZONA OPENS THE SEASON AT THE HORNET INVITATIONAL
Arizona volleyball will travel to Sacramento, California this week for the season-opening Hornet Invitational, hosted by Sacramento State. The Wildcats will open the season against head coach
Dave Rubio's alma mater, CSUN on Friday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m., the first of two matches on opening day; UA will take Utah State at 5 p.m. MST. The Cats wrap up the invitational against the host Hornets on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 1:30 p.m. MST.
QUICK HITS
- 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 has won 6-of-its-last-7 season openers, including a four-set victory over ETSU in Nashville, Tennessee last season. In Coach Rubio's 26 seasons at Arizona, the Wildcats are 63-18 (.778) on opening weekend. Last year, UA went 2-1 in the season-opening LUV Invitational.
- Head coach Dave Rubio enters 2018 10 wins shy of 500 in his Arizona career. His 490 wins are the most by an active Pac-12 coach. If he accomplishes it, he will become the second coach in conference history to reach 500 wins as a Pac-12 coach. Andy Banachowksi (UCLA; 1970-2009) is the league's all-time leader with 619 wins.
- Kendra Dahlke, who has led Arizona in total kills in each of the last two seasons, enters her senior year just 71 kills shy of 1,000 for her career. If she hits the milestone, she will be the 18th player in school history and 167th in Arizona history.
- Arizona's freshman class from a season ago 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. It marked the first time in school history that UA had four kills 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.
- Julia Patterson enters her second season as UA's starting setter in 2018. The junior finished fifth in the Pac-12, averaging 10.14 assists/set in 2017 and led the team with 12 double-doubles.
- 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 seasons overall.
- Three current Wildcats, Julia Patterson, Kendra Dahlke and Candice Denny competed with USA Volleyball Collegiate National Teams this summer. Patterson was the top setter on the USA CWNT China Roster while Dahlke and Denny went to Detroit to train with other top collegiate players. Wildcat alum and All-American Madi Kingdon continued her time with USA Volleyball this summer, including helping Team USA to a gold medal at the inaugural FIVB Volleyball Nations League title.
SERIES HISTORY
- Arizona is 5-2 all-time vs. CSUN. The Wildcats have won the last two meetings in the series, most recently a sweep (26-24, 25-14, 25-15) on Sept. 5, 2015 in Tucson.
- The Wildcats are 7-7 all-time vs. Utah State, but have won the last seven meetings between the two teams. Most recently, UA swept Utah State (30-24, 30-26, 30-25) in the 2007 season-opener.
- UA is 2-2 all-time vs. Sacramento State. Arizona swept the last meeting (25-18, 25-18, 25-12), Sept. 9, 2016 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
COACHES
- Arizona: Dave Rubio (27th year; 490-309)
- CSUN: Jeff Stork (17th year; 219-246)
- Utah State: Grayson Dubose (13th year; 182-181)
- Sacramento State: Ruben Volta (11th year; 165-157)
SCOUTING THE HORNET INVITATIONAL FIELD
- CSUN welcomes back four starters from a 2017 team that finished 13-15 overall and 7-9 in the Big West. The Matadors, led by two-time first-team all-Big West selection Aeryn Owens, were picked to finish seventh in the preseason Big West poll.
- Utah State graduated its top three attackers from a 16-14 team in 2017, but returns senior setter Kassidy Johnson, a Tucson (Cienega H.S.) native who finished third in the Mountain West in assists last season (10.36/set). Utah State was picked to finish eighth in the league this season.
- Sacramento State returns four starters from its 2017 Big Sky regular season championship, including leading scorer Mikaela Nocetti, who averaged 3.40 kills and 2.82 digs per set last season. The Hornets were picked to finish third in the league this season.
SCOUTING THE HORNET INVITATIONAL FIELD
- CSUN welcomes back four starters from a 2017 team that finished 13-15 overall and 7-9 in the Big West. The Matadors, led by two-time first-team all-Big West selection Aeryn Owens, were picked to finish seventh in the preseason Big West poll.
- Utah State graduated its top three attackers from a 16-14 team in 2017, but returns senior setter Kassidy Johnson, a Tucson (Cienega H.S.) native who finished third in the Mountain West in assists last season (10.36/set). Utah State was picked to finish eighth in the league this season.
- Sacramento State returns four starters from its 2017 Big Sky regular season championship, including leading scorer Mikaela Nocetti, who averaged 3.40 kills and 2.82 digs per set last season. The Hornets were picked to finish third in the league this season.
RUBIO LOOKING FOR WIN 500
- Arizona head coach Dave Rubio enters 2018 10 wins shy of 500 for his Wildcat career. If he reaches the milestone, he will be the second coach in conference history to reach 500 victories as a Pac-10/12 coach. Rubio trails only legendary UCLA coach Andy Banachowski in the Pac-12 record books; Banachowski won 619 matches from 1970-2009 with the Bruins.
- Including his 122 victories at Division II Cal State Bakersfield, where he began his career from 1987-1991, Rubio has won 612 matches. Those 612 victories rank 20th among all active Division I coaches.
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.
- Arizona has 13 underclassmen (7 freshmen, 6 sophomores). This, along with UCLA, is the most in the Pac-12.
DAHLKE LOOKS TO LEAVE PLACE IN HISTORY
- After leading the Wildcats in total kills in each of the last two seasons, Kendra Dahlke enters her senior season with her chance to rewrite the Wildcat history books. She enters her senior year 79 kills shy of 1,000 for her career. She would be the 18th player in Wildcat history to do so.
