Courtesy of Arizona Communcation Services
(TUCSON, AZ) It took five sets, but 23rd-ranked Arizona volleyball sent seniors Kendra Dahlke, Mackenzie Hernandez and Victoria Svorinic out on top on Wednesday afternoon in the trio’s final match in McKale Center. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Bears 25-17, 18-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-10 in a thrilling final home match for the Wildcats.
The victory insures Arizona of at least a .500 conference record this season. UA will enter Saturday’s regular season finale at Arizona State 10-9 in the Pac-12 with a chance to finish above .500 in the conference for just the second time since 2005. Arizona moved to 21-10 overall this year, marking the second time since 2005 that the Cats have won more than 20 matches in the regular season.
In 2018, Arizona’s been carried by its offense. But on Wednesday, it was the Wildcats’ defense that helped them outlast the Bears. UA had 95 digs, 17 more than Cal, and held the Golden Bears to a .177 hitting percentage, 60 points lower than their season average. The Wildcats’ 95 digs were their most since a 101-dig performance vs. Sacramento State in the opening week of the season. Makenna Martin led Arizona with 26 digs, a career high and the most by any Wildcat since Nov. 22, 2015 (Laura Larson – 27). Five Wildcats had 14-or-more digs in the match. In addition to Martin’s monster effort, Dahlke (18), Julia Patterson (17), Emi Pua’a (14) and Paige Whipple (14) also excelled defensively in the match.
Patterson’s 17 digs came as a part of a monster match for the junior. Patterson kept her double-double streak alive with 45 assists and flirted with a triple-double with a career-most seven kills on 10 error-free attacks (.700). Patterson has now recorded double-doubles in each of the last 11 matches and 19 total this season to lead the Pac-12.
On her senior day, Dahlke turned in yet another stellar effort. Dahlke totaled 19 kills on 47 swings to go along with her 18 digs. She came one kill shy of her 17th career 20-plus kill match and one dig shy of her career high, but picked up her 15th double-double of the season in the match.
Paige Whipple also recorded a double-double, her ninth of the year, with 14 kills and 14 digs.
Arizona’s middle blockers were terrific on Wednesday. Devyn Cross notched nine kills on .467 hitting to go along with three kills while Shardonee Hayes notched seven kills on 15 swings and added a team-best five blocks.
By Set
(S1: Arizona 25, Cal 17): Arizona used a nearly perfect showing from its middle blockers, Shardonee Hayes and Devyn Cross, who had four kills apiece on 10 total error-free swings, to cruise to a first-set victory, 25-17, over the Bears.
(S2: Cal 25, Arizona 18): Arizona’s offense hit .026 as the Bears dominated the second, 25-18.
(S3: Arizona 25, Cal 19): The Wildcats’ offense got back on track, hitting .343 with four kills apiece from Kendra Dahlke, Paige Whipple and Devyn Cross to lead the Cats to a 25-19 victory to take a 2-1 lead.
(S4: Cal 25, Arizona 23): Cal scored the final four points of the fourth set to erase a 23-21 Arizona lead and win the frame, 25-23, to force a fifth set.
(S5: Arizona 15, Cal 10): Arizona stormed out to an 8-1 lead in the fifth and withstood a late Cal rally to win the fifth set, 15-10.
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