The words "pain," "loss" and "close" are becoming quite familiar around the Arizona locker room this season.

Those three words were said often Saturday night after the Wildcats suffered another tough defeat at the hands of No. 9 Washington State, 21-13, in Arizona Stadium before a Family Weekend crowd of 46,462.

"It hurts more and more every week," said senior wide receiver Bobby Wade. "We ended up on the short end of the stick again." [Read article]

It's comforting to know that if Arizona doesn't win another game this season, it won't be for a lack of effort by the coaching staff.

Instead of succumbing to the hubris that afflicts many men of his position, defensive coordinator Larry Mac Duff scrapped the scheme he created ÷ the double-eagle flex ÷ and switched to a simpler, more secondary-friendly set.

It was nothing more than a basic 3-4 defense. No whip linebackers, no rolling tackles on the line. It was the same defense that is run at the vast majority of high schools in this country, because it's simple and flexible. [Read article]

The Arizona volleyball team may have hit a season low when they were swept by their in-state rival Arizona State earlier in the season.

But this weekend was payback.

UA was firing on all cylinders from the start and it dominated every aspect of the match en route to a 3-0 (30-16, 30-18, 30-22) sweep of ASU.

"Nothing is better then beating ASU," freshman middle blocker Bre Ladd said. "We wanted to show that we are a better team than the one they beat, and we did that." [Read article]

Usually, when a team has three point guards, good things are going to happen with the basketball.

That was the case in the first game of Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage in front of a record-setting Family Weekend crowd of 2,600 people, the largest crowd to ever watch a UA practice.

With seniors Jason Gardner and Luke Walton and freshman Chris Rodgers all wearing blue jerseys, the team coached by assistant coach Rodney Tention scored 68 points in just 20 minutes to win 68-37 over associate head coach Jim Rosborough's white team. [Read article]

Explosive offense, stifling defense and a scuffle that would make NHL fans proud: that is how the Arizona Icecats opened their season Friday night, embarrassing Arizona State 10-2, and 5-4 Saturday. The Icecats came out firing, jumping out to a four-goal lead in the first period in their season opener Friday at the "Madhouse on Main Street."

Junior forward Andrew Fredericks got the scoring underway midway through the first period, and he never let up from there, lighting the lamp a total of four times for his first career hat-trick. He also added an assist. [Read article]

The UA women's soccer team was shut out at Oregon State last night, 5-0. The team will return home for its final home matches of the season this weekend.