By
Brian Penso
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona holds half game lead over USC in Pac-10
LOS ANGELES - The Arizona volleyball team traveled to Los Angeles this past weekend seeking a sweep of UCLA and USC in order to claim its first ever Pacific 10 Conference Championship.
The Wildcats managed a split against the L.A. schools and still remain one win away from at least a share of the conference crown.
No. 5 Arizona(23-3 overall ,15-2 Pac-10) bounced back from a Friday night loss to the Trojans to defeat the No. 7 Bruins(19-6, 13-3) 3-1, to even the season series at one match apiece.
"We played great versus a great team and we won," junior setter Dana Burkholder said. "USC routed us last night, and it was great to come back and route UCLA."
Arizona came out slow versus the Bruins, suffering a15-6 first-game loss and a dismal .277 hitting percentage.
It was a pep talk from UA head coach David Rubio at the end of the first game that helped the Wildcats begin a turnaround.
"I questioned the team's pride at the end of the first game," Rubio said. "The way they changed their mentality amazed me. They continue to show their resilience and great pride."
UA turned things around with a.708 hitting percentage in the second game and cruised to a 15-2 win.
The Wildcats took the final two games in convincing fashion - 15-4 and 15-6 - to seal the victory.
Overall, Arizona ended the match with a school-record .441 hitting percentage, which eclipsed the previous mark of .421 set against Pittsburgh in 1984.
"Our passing was incredible tonight," senior middle blocker Marisa DaLee said. "As the coach said, 'everything was aligned for us tonight.'"
Arizona also changed its style of serving to counter the attacking style of the Bruins and junior outside hitter Kristee Porter.
Instead of serving on the backline, players served about 15 feet behind the stripe.
"Our serving was bombs away tonight," DaLee said.
The logic worked - as a team the Wildcats accumulated nine aces.
"Arizona just served great tonight," UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski said.
UCLA players were unraveled by UA's serving and said it was the key to Arizona's dominance.
"The difference in the match was Arizona's serving," UCLA senior middle blocker Elisabeth Bachman said. "We could not handle their serving and they caught us off guard."
For the fourth straight match, senior Allison Napier led UA in kills with 18 to go with a .395 hitting percentage.
DaLee, who has been in a minor slump the past two matches, finished the match with 15 kills on a.478 hitting percentage.
Arizona sophomore outside hitter Lisa Rutledge and junior outside hitter Jill Talbot each contributed 10 kills along with a.500 hitting percentage.
"It was important for everyone to step up," Napier said. "Jill and Lisa played unbelievable."
Arizona did not have the same success against the Trojans (21-2, 14-2) on Friday night, as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to No. 3 Southern Cal.
"USC played terrific," Rubio said. "They deserve a lot of credit. I knew we were in for a battle and they played exceptional and we just did not play well enough."
The defeat was Arizona's first road loss of season.
"It is credit to our team that we came back and fought on every single point," sophomore middle blocker Stefani Saragosa said. "USC knew that we would not let them walk all over us. We showed them how much pride we have as a team."
With the weekend series split, Arizona holds a half-game lead over USC with one match remaining.
If the Wildcats defeat Arizona State Saturday in its final match of the season, the Wildcats will be guaranteed at least a share of the Pac-10 Championship.
