Variety is always better in volleyball. The Arizona Wildcats got just that in a 3-1 (26-24, 18-25, 25-20, 25-17) victory over the UCF Knights in Orlando, Fla.
Arizona got double-doubles from outside hitters Jordan Wilson and Carlie Cisneros
, as well as setter Avery Scoggins. Right side hitter Britt Carlson had seven kills on .286 hitting, three digs, and four total blocks in her return to face the team she spent two years playing for.Arizona head coach Rita Stubbs said that she had hoped to get Carlson
into the game. She wasn’t going to force anything, but when she felt starter Ana Heath was a little off, she opted to put Carlson in.
“She gives a little different look as a blocker,” Stubbs said.
It was fitting that Carlson was in on the final point of both the first and final sets.
Wilson once again led the Wildcats. She had a 22 kills on .208 hitting. The 22 kills were seven more than anyone else on the floor for either team. She added two blocks (one solo) for a match-high 23.5 points. Her 13 digs gave her the double-double.
Cisneros got 10 kills and a match-high 16 digs to complete her double-double. She did a lot of damage from the service line with four aces. Her block assist gave her 14.5 points.
Scoggins was effective in all aspects of the game. She helped Arizona get off to a strong start by serving the first seven points of the game. Arizona was up to a healthy 6-1 lead when UCF finally sided out.
Scoggins’ double-double consisted of 41 assists and 11 digs. She added four kills on .429 hitting, one ace, and one total block for 5.5 points.
Scoggins’ serve was part of a hot start for the Wildcats. They led by six at 6-0 and 7-1. That’s when the first sign of problems cropped up for Arizona. UCF went on a 10-5 run to tie the set at 11. Five of the Knights’ points came on Arizona’s attack or service errors.
“We were making mindless errors, which is never good,” Stubbs said.
It wasn’t the end of the errors. Arizona started pulling away and built another six-point lead at 21-15. The Wildcats reached set point at 24-19, but UCF went on a 5-0 run to wipe all five chances away. The Knights’ service error provided another one. This time, Sydnie Vanek and Carlson teamed up for the block to give Arizona a 1-0 lead.
As often happens, the Knights used their late-set momentum to carry them in the next set. They went up by as many as eight at 16-8 in the second.
Arizona shook off the 25-18 loss in the second set. The ‘Cats once again took a big lead, going up 6-1 with the help of Cisneros’ serve. The sophomore had two aces in the 6-0 run. Arizona eventually pushed the lead to eight points at 13-6.
UCF took its final timeout of the set at 22-16, but it was too late. UA won three of the final seven points to win 25-20 and went up 2-1.
The Wildcats led wire-to-wire in the final set. Their biggest lead was seven points at 21-14. They took four of the final seven points to win by their most comfortable margin of the match.
Stubbs praised the team for being able to regroup on several occasions, especially given the lack of familiarity with the surroundings. They were once again in a volleyball-specific facility. The facilities were not widespread in the Pac-12 but several Big 12 teams have them.
The smaller facilities put the fans closer to the action and don’t allow sound to dissipate into the rafters of a basketball arena. In some—like the one at Kansas—serving can be different because fans are behind the players. Fortunately, The Venue keeps that area free of fans.
Arizona was helped by a large contingent of its own fans. Middle blocker Adrianna Bridges is from Pembroke Pines, Fla., a little over three hours from Orlando. Fellow middle blocker Journey Tucker also has family in Florida. Opposite Renee Jones played at IMG Academy the last two years, and Carlson spent the last two years playing for the Knights.
Getting the first win of what will be three straight games on the road is a relief for the Wildcats. On paper, it’s the toughest of the weekend, giving Arizona a good chance to get the road sweep before going to Iowa State next week.
“It gives you the time to take a little breather,” Stubbs said. “I told them we could enjoy it a little while, but we have to get up early and fly to Houston.”
