As a backup to the backup, Emi Pua’a did not expect to be starting at libero this season. And certainly not for this long — six matches and counting.
Pua’a took over when Kamaile Hiapo went down with a hamstring injury in the second match of Pac-12 action, and so far hasn’t missed a beat.
In a tight match at No. 10 Washington on Sunday, Pua’a posted 29 digs, the 11th-highest single-game total in UA history.
“That is a huge number,” UA coach Dave Rubio said.
Arizona (11-9, 1-7) returns to McKale Center this weekend after two weeks on the road. The Wildcats host Oregon State (8-11, 2-6) Friday at 7 p.m. and Oregon (6-11, 2-6) Sunday at noon.
Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pua’a can put up big numbers. She finished 17th in the nation in digs two years ago while playing at Iowa Western, a junior college. Pua’a finished last season, her first with the UA, with 248 digs. This season, she has 180.
“I think I definitely had to step up playing-wise, especially on defense. I didn’t think too much, which is weird. I tried to play the game I know how to play and it just resulted in me getting that amount of digs,” Pua’a said.
The Wildcats have lost four straight matches, all of them coming against ranked teams. The team’s struggles are mostly the result of injuries. Two liberos — Makenna Martin and Hiapo — suffered injuries earlier in the season. Hiapo returned only to be moved to outside hitter. That’s because three of Arizona’s “bigs” — Liz Shelton, Shardonee Hayes and Whittnee Nihipali — are out with concussions.
The injuries “have allowed Emi to shine,” Rubio said. “We are fortunate to have her. Most teams don’t have the third-stringer to do the yeoman work at libero. It speaks to her level of play to function in a position that is so hard to play. If you have a really good setter and a really good libero, consistency is there. … We’ve been able to get by with Emi and do well. If we weren’t so banged up in other positions, we’d be in the mix.
“Emi brings a level of athleticism. Her quickness; her explosiveness. All the intangibles that you would want for that position, she encompasses all those characteristics. We are fortunate to have her.”
Rubio said he was happy with how his squad competed last weekend, even though the Wildcats lost to No. 21 Washington State in three sets and 10th-ranked Washington in four sets.
“This was not a lost weekend for us,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to individually get better and to learn more about being elite players and an elite team.”
The Wildcats had a season-high 84 digs against Washington. Julia Patterson had 16, Hiapo had 15, Katie Smoot and Paige Whipple each had eight. Devyn Cross had four blocks, moving her into 10th place in UA history with 346 career blocks.
As Rubio keeps shuffling his pieces, he knows just how valuable Pua’a is to his puzzle — and how fortunate the UA is to have her. Pua’a arrived at Arizona as a walk-on before earning a one-year scholarship this season.
“Typically, we don’t get a player of her level and quality,” Rubio said. “She chose to come here because her grandfather went to school here, the connections with Polynesians, and to play in the Pac-12.”
Pua’a’s younger sister, Hina, followed her to Tucson. Hina, a junior setter, also starred at Iowa Western before heading west. The sisters are as different as the positions they play. Hina is serious, calm, studious and focused. Emi is energetic and carefree, boasting a biog personality.
Emi shares her understanding of the coaches — how they communicate and what they are asking — with her younger sister. Hina helps her older sister in other ways.
“She is the loudest one cheering on the bench—I hear her,” Emi Pua’a said. “When Coach Rubio calls a timeout, she pats me on the back and says, ‘Let’s do this and ball out.’ And next thing I am balling out. She helps me a lot.”
Extra points
• Devyn Cross leads the Pac-12 and is second nationally in hitting percentage (.463).
• Julia Patterson has 3,059 career assists, placing her in seventh in UA history.
