The Arizona women’s volleyball season ended Friday, when the Wildcats fell to Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. The 25-17, 25-22, 25-18 loss capped an up-and-down, injury-plagued season.
Arizona finished 22-11, with an 11-9 Pac-12 Conference mark.
Two of the bright spots were Devyn Cross and Makenna Martin. The Star talked to the two juniors about their season, how they could improve and what next year might look like:
What is your most memorable moment from the season?
Cross: “Getting the 500th win for our coach, Dave Rubio, and beating Washington State at their place 3-2.”
Martin: “Beating ASU home and away. Another highlight was playing and beating Oregon in five (sets) at Oregon.”
What do you think you did well in Friday’s game?
Cross: “Going into the game, I thought we were very prepared — we were mentally prepared for what we were going to face but during the game we just couldn’t execute.
Martin: “No comment…”
How do you think you could have improved?
Cross: “I can’t speak for the whole team, but I think I could have personally been more engaged rather than stuck in my head the whole time.”
Martin: “We could have improved in our fight and energy; it was dead on the court.”
How has this program shaped your college experience?
Cross: “The program has pushed me to create a more disciplined lifestyle for myself, which is something that is useful in other areas such as work and personal life that I can take with me after I graduate.”
Martin: “This program has done so much for me. Sometimes I get really frustrated — both school and volleyball — and the way they let me get my frustration out is awesome, I don’t think any other program would let me do what I do. The program has helped me stay focused and it has given me structure and all the support in the world.”
