Sofia Maldonado Diaz racked up 11 kills and a team-high 18 digs and the Arizona Wildcats capped their 2021 volleyball season with a rousing sweep of rival Arizona State in front of 1,849 fans in McKale Center.
Saturday afternoon’s 25-11, 25-16, 27-25 win completed the Wildcats’ first season sweep of the Sun Devils since 2018. Puk Stubbe led the UA with 13 kills and chipped in three blocks, while Jaelyn Hodge added 10 kills and three blocks. Setter Emery Herman chipped in 30 assists and 14 digs for the Wildcats, who rallied from a 23-19 deficit to win the third set by two points.
Arizona’s Emery Herman sets up a teammate for a kill during Saturday’s win over ASU.
The victory gives Arizona a winning overall record — 16-15 — and a Pac-12 record of 8-12. Arizona State falls to 14-17 and 7-13. Neither team is expected to qualify for the NCAA Tournament despite playing in one of the nation’s toughest conferences for women’s volleyball. UA, which will finish in eighth place in the Pac-12, entered the week with an RPI ranking in the 90s.
UA’s Merle Weidt blocks an ASU kill at the net during Saturday’s victory in McKale Center.
Arizona will return the bulk of its 2021 roster next season, with Maldonado Diaz, Stubbe, Hodge and Herman, among others, expected to blossom as they become upperclassmen. Hodge and Maldonado Diaz are second-year players who are classified as freshmen because of the NCAA’s pandemic eligibility rules. Stubbe is a true freshman, and Hodge is a second-year player who is classified as a freshman.
Saturday marked the likely final matches for seniors Zyonna Fellows, Merle Weidt and Malina Kalei Ua.
