After securing their first road victory Thursday night, the Arizona volleyball team returned to the court to compete against their second consecutive HBCU program. They aimed to reaffirm their position as a team to watch as they prepared for the upcoming Big 12 Conference play.
Friday's game was not pretty by any stretch as the Wildcats were outhit.235-.208 by Prairie View A&M, but it was a strong serving game and steady backcourt play that carried the day for the Wildcats, leading to a 25-20, 25-20, 25-18 sweep of the Panthers.
On the day, Jordan Wilson led the attack with 10 kills, while both Jaelyn Hodge and Kiari Robey chipped in 8. Robey commanded the net with 3 blocks, and Avery Scoggins appeared to cement her role at setter with a match-high 28 assists for the Wildcats.
Defensively it was Carlie Cisneros who continued to let her defense do the talking this weekend with 14 digs, while Scoggins added 8, and Hodge 6.
Friday afternoon sweep 🧹 pic.twitter.com/bFIFW6DItY
— Arizona Volleyball (@ArizonaVBall) September 6, 2024
Ace du Jour, 10 Aces Paces Arizona
For a team that has faced significant serving challenges in recent years, it's clear that the Wildcats had a clear focus coming into the season, and that was on full display Friday, as Arizona tallied 10 aces to only 3 serving errors on the day.
Leading the way for the Wildcats were Haven Wray, Jordan Wilson, Giorgia Mandotti, and Carlie Cisneros who each had a pair of aces for the match, while Jaelyn Hodge and Avery Scoggins chipped in the other two aces.
Welcome to the Kiari Robey Experience
Arguably the most exciting transfer that Charita Stubbs brought to Tucson this offseason was Atlanta native Kiari Robey, and through 5 games she has shown just why this had the makings of a powerful add. On the season, Robey is hitting an eye-popping .493 with 40 kills and just 3 errors.
However, in her two matches so far during the ASU Collegiate Cup, she is hitting .586 with 18 kills with a single error. With her first appearance of the year coming Saturday against Alabama, it's fair to expect the former 2nd Team All-ACC performer to show up again with another solid performance.
Next Up
The Wildcats will conclude the ASU Collegiate Cup with a showdown against the Crimson Tide of Alabama on Saturday at 9:00 AM MST. Like all previous ASU Collegiate Cup Matches the game will be streamed on Alabama State's streaming platform HornetsSportsNetwork.com for $15, while stats will be available at ArizonaStats.Com