The Arizona Wildcats’ 2021 spring volleyball season can be defined in four words: Sweep or get swept.
The UA has played eight two-game series under a pandemic-mandated schedule that requires teams to play the same opponents twice in a weekend. The Wildcats swept Stanford, Oregon State and Colorado; they’ve been swept by Utah, Washington, Oregon and UCLA.
The only split in the first two months of the season came against rival ASU. The Wildcats beat the Sun Devils in Tucson and lost to them in Tempe.
Arizona (7-9) will try to extend — or break, depending on what happens Friday — the sweep steak this weekend, when they play Cal in Berkeley. The teams play Friday at 6 and Sunday at 1.
The Golden Bears are 1-15, have lost nine straight matches and haven’t taken a single set since March 5. Still, UA coach Dave Rubio said he’s concerned.
“I'm not sure the last time that we beat Cal at Cal. It's been a while,” he said. “It's one of those places for us; it's difficult for us to play there. And even though the record doesn't really reflect it, I think they're a pretty dangerous team.”
