Arizona Volleyball completes weekend sweep vs Stanford

Back at it for the second match in three days against defending National Champion and No. 7 ranked Stanford, Arizona Volleyball capitalized on errors to knock off the Cardinal yet again.

Playing virtually perfect games is what it takes to upset Top Ten teams, however, sometimes teams give you a nice boost with unforced errors. Luckily for us, Stanford sure helped Arizona Volleyball on Sunday afternoon yet again.

Unlike Friday evening, where the Wildcats could do no wrong attacking at an incredible clip, they seemed to fade back to what has been their norms in the early parts of the season.

Arizona Wildcats

Despite hitting just .214, the Wildcats were still able to jump out to a 2-0 set lead, taking game one 27-25, and game two 25-17. However, unlike Friday night, it was the Cardinal who took the third set 25-21 behind a .297 hitting percentage.

In the fourth set, Arizona bounced back in a big way, extending their lead at one point to 12 at 20-8, before putting away the Cardinal 25-13, completing their first season series sweep of Stanford since 2005.

Match Leaders

Kills– Sofia Maldonado Diaz (15)

Assists– Emery Herman (34)

Aces– Dilara Gedikoglu, Malina Kalei Ua (2)

Digs– Kamaile Hiapo (17)

Blocks– China Rai Crouch (4)

Fellows Dominates the Net

Zyonna Fellows has been good for the Wildcats all season, putting up respectable numbers so far, but on Sunday she showed just how much of a force she could be for the Wildcats. Fellows converted on each of her first seven swings for kills and announced her presence with authority against the No. 7 team in the country. On the afternoon, Fellows had 10 kills and hit a mind-blowing .769, while also chipping in three blocks.

Herman Shines Again

While Sofia Maldonado Diaz tends to attract most of the attention with her big-time attacking numbers, Emery Herman looks like the steal of the recruiting class, as she has continually played with the poise that is typically shown from more seasoned players.

Going up against some of the nation’s best teams the past three weekends, Herman has showcased a skill set that’s destined to produce multiple All-Conference seasons, as well as All-American potential. On the afternoon, Herman dished out 34 assists, and additionally had three kills and two blocks.

Whipple’s leadership shines through

Paige Whipple’s experience and leadership were on full display on the weekend by putting forth her best all-around matches of the young season. The Wildcats seem to go as Paige does, and it is no surprise that as errors were more limited, that wins came from it. On the day, Paige had seven kills, 10 digs, three blocks, and an ace.

What a great weekend it was for Arizona Volleyball as the Wildcats earned their first weekend sweep! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!