Arizona sand volleyball is back in Tucson this weekend after playing its past four matches on the road. The Wildcats will host the Wildcat Spring Challenge on Friday and Saturday.
Arizona has already improved on last year’s record, which at this point last season was 5-2. It has also proved itself a force to be reckoned with on the road.
Since the Wildcats were last at home, they have managed to extend their winning streak and will go into the weekend with a 6-0 record overall and a 3-0 home record.
The Wildcats received a much-needed break in play last week. Arizona coach Steve Walker said many of the players had been competing since fall, and the entire team has been training since at least January.
“The team responded in practice this week reenergized and rejuvenated,” Walker said. “And that’s what I was looking for coming off the break.”
Energy is just what this team will need heading into the two-day tournament this weekend, as it will be taking on Boise State on Friday, followed by Nebraska and Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
The Wildcats beat Boise State late last season 4-1 but fell to Nebraska 2-3. This will be the first face-off between Arizona and Cal State Northridge.
Earlier in the season, twins Madison and McKenna Witt said the team’s goal was to improve on last year’s record. Having already done that, Walker said he wants more and strives for the team to improve everyday in hopes of reaching postseason play.
Dominating the competition this weekend will help make a case for the Wildcats for postseason play. In order to do that, the Wildcats have been focusing on blocking, along with the continued work on hitting and setting in practice this week.
“We’ve been really focusing on blocking,” Taylor Arizobal said. “As a blocker, we’ve been focusing on seeing if the ball is on or off the net, and we always work on setting. That’s probably one of the main things.”
Catch the Wildcats back in action at the Arizona Sand Volleyball Courts at Jimenez Field. Arizona’s first game of the tournament is Friday at 2 p.m. against Boise State. The Wildcats will return on Saturday at 9 a.m. for a match against Nebraska, followed by a face off with Cal State Northridge at 1 p.m.
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