TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona volleyball picked up its biggest win of the season on Sunday, a four-set victory over 22nd-ranked Washington State in McKale Center (25-22, 20-25, 25-15, 25-23).
The Wildcats entered the match 0-11 vs. ranked opponents this year, but had been scratching recently, taking a set from 10th-ranked Washington on Friday and taking No. 17 Utah to five sets three weeks before. On Sunday, Arizona broke through, defeating the Cougars in four sets.
Junior outside hitter
Paige Whipple had the best match of her career, posting 29 kills, the most of her career and most by a Wildcat since
Kendra Dahlke (29) on Nov. 9, 2018 at Utah. Whipple accumulated her 29 kills on .299 hitting (67 swings); the junior added nine digs and an ace in the match.
Whipple will now enter the last week of the 2019 regular season with 972 kills, 28 shy of becoming the seventh player in school history to reach the 1,000 kill mark during her junior season.
Senior setter
Julia Patterson had another big match, recording 45 assists to go along with 14 digs -- good for her 15th double-double of the season -- five kills and three blocks.
Freshman libero
Kamaile Hiapo had a match-high 24 digs, her fourth 20-plus dig match of the season. Her 24 digs give her 343 digs this season. She enters the final week of the 2019 regular season 28 digs shy of becoming Arizona's all-time freshman dig leader. Hiapo was one of four Wildcats with double-digit digs in the match;
Makenna Martin (17), Patterson (14) and
Emi Pua'a (11) also posted 10-plus digs on Sunday.
Entering the day, the Wildcats were last in the Pac-12, averaging 1.97 blocks/set, while the Cougars with third in the conference, averaging 2.68/set. But on Sunday, the teams were dead eve, both posting nine blocks in the match.
Devyn Cross led the Wildcats with six, bringing her career total to 392, eight shy of becoming the eighth player in Arizona history to record 400 career blocks.
Arizona's nine blocks help limit Washington State to a .188 hitting percentage; the Cats posted a .247 hitting percentage, improving to 15-1 when outhitting their opponent.
The Wildcats improved to 15-15, 5-13 Pac-12 this season while the Cougars fell to 22-8, 11-7 Pac-12. Arizona will now get ready for a short turnaround before the final week of the regular season. The Wildcats will host UCLA on Wednesday (11/27) before ending the Pac-12 season vs. Arizona State on Saturday (11/30).Â
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