LSU Gold

NCAA Tournament Scouting Report: Arizona

by Ryan Ginn
+0
NCAA Tournament Scouting Report: Arizona

BATON ROUGE — Leading up to Friday’s NCAA Volleyball Tournament at the Maravich Center, LSUsports.net will profile each of the visiting schools. Take a look at the field, and get all-session for the tournament games in Baton Rouge today.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.LSUtix.net as well as in person at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office or by phone at 225-578-2184 or 800-960-TKTS. The ticket office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the first floor of the Athletics/Administration Building.
 
General Information
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Founded: 1885
Enrollment: 37,500
Nickname: Wildcats
Colors: Cardinal Red & Navy Blue
Conference: Pacific-10
Home Court: McKale Memorial Center
2009 Record: 19-10 (8-10 Pac-10)
NCAA Appearances: 22

NCAA Tournament Notes

The No. 19 Arizona Wildcats are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005 and their 22nd overall. Despite not having qualified for postseason play during the past three seasons, Arizona still boasts an impressive 22-12 NCAA Tournament record under head coach Dave Rubio.

The Wildcats enter the Baton Rouge Regional with a 19-10 overall record and an 8-10 mark in the Pac-10. Arizona is one of eight Pac-10 teams to earn a postseason bid in 2009. Eight of the team’s 10 losses came against Top 25 conference foes.

The Wildcats’ resume includes five wins over four different opponents who were ranked at the time of the match, including home victories against No. 13 USC, No. 11 Oregon, No. 21 Washington State, No. 11 California and a road win at No. 14 Oregon. The Wildcats also defeated fellow Baton Rouge Regional participant Tulane by a 3-0 margin at the Arizona Invitational in Tucson.

Arizona opened the season with 12 consecutive wins, with eight of those victories recorded as 3-0 sweeps. The stretch included four tournaments where the Wildcats emerged with no losses.

The Wildcats are paced by junior outside hitters Tiffany Owens, who averages 3.74 kills per set, and Whitney Dosty, who has a 2.95 kills per set ratio. Additionally, setter Paige Weber dishes out an average of 10.74 assists per set.

Head coach Dave Rubio has amassed a record of 340-199 in his 18 seasons at Arizona. He has led the Wildcats to seven Sweet 16s, four Elite Eights, and one Final Four, in 2001, which led to him being named the ASICS/Volleyball Magazine National Coach of the Year for that season.

Probable Starters

12 Jacy Norton
Senior 5-9 Middle Blocker
Louisville, Ky.
1.66 kills/set, 0.32 digs/set, 0.98 blocks/set
 
Season Profile
Has played in 103 of 106 possible sets… Ranks third on the team with a .286 hitting percentage… Leads the Wildcats in blocks with 100 on the season for a 0.97 per set average… Her 171 kills rank fourth on the squad… Honorable mention All Pac-10
 
9 Tiffany Owens
Junior 5-11 Outside Hitter
San Bernardino, Calif.
3.74 kills/set, 3.16 digs/set, 0.28 blocks/set

Season Profile
Has played in all 106 sets this season… Leads the team in kills, with 396 for the year… Her 15 services aces were fourth-most for the Wildcats… Also corralled 335 digs, second only to defensive specialist Alanna Resch… Accounted for a team-leading 431.0 points for the season… Ranked seventh in the conference for total points… Honorable mention All Pac-10… Pac-10 Player of the Week for August 31, 2009
 
21 Whitney Dosty
Junior 6-3 Outside Hitter
Tucson, Ariz.
2.95 kills/set, 1.68 digs/set, 0.54 blocks/set

Season Profile
Has played in 85 of 106 sets this year… Second on the Wildcats with 2.95 kills per frame… Also second on the team in total kills with 251… Recorded 1.68 digs per set… Accounted for 287.5 points, second-most on the team… Notched 20 service aces… Honorable mention All Pac-10

34 Paige Weber
Junior 5-11 Setter
Indianapolis, Ind.
0.68 kills/set, 10.74 assists/set, 2.03 digs/set

Season Profile
Has played in all 106 sets this season… Dished out 1138 assists on the year, for an average of 10.74 per set… Ranks sixth in the conference in assists per set… Was the team’s most dominant player in the serving position… Team-leading 30 service aces ranks third-most in the Pac-10… Honorable mention All Pac-10

11 Elise Hendrickson
Sophomore 6-2
Long Beach, Calif.
.286 hitting pct., 1.81 digs/set, 0.19 assists/set

Season Profile
Played in 97 of Arizona’s 106 sets this year… Recorded 176 digs for a 1.81 per set average… Served up 10 aces on the season… Also recorded 18 assists

55 Stephanie Snow
Junior 6-4 Middle Blocker
Tempe, Ariz.
1.41 kills/set, 0.12 digs/set, 0.70 blocks/set

Season Profile
Played in 89 of the team’s 106 sets this season… Leads the Wildcats in hitting percentage at .324… That percentage is 8th-best in the Pac-10 for 2009… Recorded 0.70 blocks per set… Her 62 total blocks ranked second on the team… Accounted for 169.0 points this season

33 Alanna Resch
Senior 5-9 Libero
San Diego, Calif.
3.30 digs/set, 0.51 assists/set, 0.23 service aces/set

Season Profile
Played in all 106 sets for the Wildcats this season… Leads the team in total digs with 350… Her dig total is eighth-best in the conference… Also leads in digs per frame, compiling an average of 3.30 per set… Has 24 service aces, second-most on the team… Passed out 54 assists, second-most on the Wildcats

Bench
# Name Position Height Class K/S, A/S, D/S, B/S
1 Danielle Holloway Libero 5-4 Jr. 0.02, 0.19, 0.35, 0.00
4 Tori Moore Setter 5-10 Fr. 0.00, 1.50, 0.33, 0.00
7 Dana Hutchinson Outside Hitter 5-11 So. 1.89, 0.12, 1.96, 0.18
8 Ellen Querrey Outside Hitter 5-11 Fr. 0.00, 0.00, 0.00, 0.00
22 Kaylen Bannister Middle Blocker 6-4 So. 0.98, 0.00, 0.07, 0.57
23 Courtney Karst Middle Blocker 6-1 So. 2.40, 0.05, 0.52, 0.35