The No. 1-ranked Arizona women’s club volleyball’s “A” team finished ninth in Division I at the NCVF Collegiate Club Volleyball Championships in Reno, Nev.
The Wildcats were ranked No. 1 coming off of tournament wins at the Las Vegas Open and the Texas Invitational.
Club president Jenny Waranauskas said the Wildcats were shocked by the result.
“We have a really strong core and work well together,” said Waranauskas, a junior outside hitter.
“We relied on each other during the game, but we didn’t finish as strongly as we would have liked.”
Arizona went undefeated the first two days of the tournament.
On Thursday, the “A” team beat Purdue in two sets, 25-13 and 25-23. Then on Friday, it beat Michigan in two sets, 25-12 and 25-17.
On the last day of the tournament, the Wildcats lost in the first round to Santa Clara in three sets, 21-25, 25-18 and 15-10.
Junior Dustee Faxon was an honorable mention for the All-Tournament team from the “A” team.
Arizona’s “B” team went undefeated the first two days of the national tournament. The “B” Wildcats lost in the semifinals to Marquette and placed third.
Senior libero Lauren Weinberg said she was disappointed with the semifinals loss but was proud of how the team performed.
“This loss to Marquette gives us inspiration to work hard, since we are always so close to winning,” Weinberg said.
This is the second year in a row Arizona’s “B” team lost in the semifinals to Marquette University.
For the “B” team, sophomore middle blocker Susanna Lluria was first-team All-Tournament team, and sophomore setter Kayla Darris and freshman outside hitter Morgan Sinibaldi were honorable mentions.
For Weinberg, it was a bittersweet way to end her volleyball career as an undergraduate student.
“Volleyball means so much more than just playing on the court,” Weinberg said. “You have to be selfless and work as a team and appreciate each other.”
Waranauskas said the Wildcats improved this semester after missing some players in the fall.
“We all had really great chemistry this semester,” Waranauskas said. “We were able to trust everyone, and it was nice to have everyone back.”
Men finish ninth, fifth
Arizona men’s volleyball’s “A” team finished ninth place at Nationals in Division I in Reno, Nev.
The Wildcats went 4-3, losing their final match to Wisconsin Oshkosh, the eventual Division I national champion.
Junior outside hitter Luis Del Valle was honorable mention for the All-Tournament team.
The UA’s “B” finished fifth place, losing to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the semifinals.
For the “B” team, sophomore middle blocker Ryan Bergsma was on the first team for the All-Tournament.
—Follow Daniela Vizcarra @vizcarra_dw