The Arizona volleyball team dropped both of their matches in Oregon over the weekend. The Wildcats (6-13, 1-7 in Pac-12) fell to the No. 5 University of Oregon in three sets on Friday, Oct. 13, before a heartbreaking loss against Oregon State University in five sets on Sunday, Oct. 15.

Friday, Oct. 13: No. 5 Oregon (16-3, 6-2 in Pac-12)

Set results: 26-24, 25-8, 25-15

The Wildcats took an early lead in the opening set, going up 5-1. They maintained their lead for much of the set, but Oregon closed strong on a 10-5 run to win 26-24.

Oregon showcased their dominance as they took control of the second set right from the beginning, jumping out to an early 11-3 lead. They played a near-perfect game, delivering a crushing defeat to the Wildcats with a score of 25-8.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats were unable to recover in the third set. They took an early 8-5 lead, but Oregon quickly turned things around with an 8-0 run, taking a 13-8 lead midway through the set. The Ducks controlled the remainder of the set and won 25-15, completing the three-set sweep over the Wildcats.

Jaelyn Hodge, Sofia Maldonado Diaz and Jordan Wilson each achieved eight kills, combining for 24 of the Wildcats’ 29 kills, while Ana Heath led the Wildcats with 18 assists in the match. 

Editor’s note: Oregon fell to No. 8 in the AVCA Volleyball Top-25

Sunday, Oct. 15: Oregon State (7-11, 2-6 in Pac-12) 

Set results: 27-29, 25-16, 25-23, 16-25, 12-15

The Wildcats jumped out early in the first set, grabbing an early 6-2 lead. However, the Beavers rallied to even the score at 15-15 midway through the set. Both teams would trade points the rest of the way, and Arizona had several opportunities to put the set away but was unable to close, as they fell 29-27 in the opening set.

The Wildcats dominated the Beavers in the second set, leading nearly the entire set. Arizona kept a comfortable lead throughout the set, going on several runs and eventually winning 25-15. Maldonado Diaz was the top performer for Arizona with four kills.

After initially trailing 5-2 in the third set, the Wildcats made an impressive 9-0 run to take the lead against the Beavers. However, Oregon State managed to gradually chip away at their deficit and eventually regained the lead, going up 22-18 late in the set. Despite this setback, Arizona fought back strongly in the closing stages and managed to win the set 25-23, taking a 2-1 lead in the match.

Oregon State cruised past the Wildcats in the fourth set, winning 25-17. The Wildcats kept the set close early, but the Beavers eventually were able to pull away late, forcing a fifth and final set. 

In the final set of the match, the Wildcats lost 15-12 despite a late rally that fell short. After trailing 11-2, the Wildcats managed to reduce the deficit to just 1 point with a 10-2 run, bringing the score to 13-12 Oregon State. However, the Beavers scored the final 2 points to clinch the match.

Maldonado Diaz and Wilson led the Wildcats in the match, combining for 38 of the Wildcats’ 62 kills in the match. Heath once again led the Wildcats in assists, with 50 of Arizona‘s 58 assists. 

Next up:

Arizona looks to snap their three-game losing streak when they face the University of Colorado Boulder on Friday, Oct. 20, and the University of Utah on Sunday, Oct. 22.

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