Volleyball's wild year ends with first-round loss to Wisconsin

The UA volleyball team complained about not being seeded in the NCAA Tournament and was looking forward to shocking the world by upsetting No. 1 Southern California in the Sweet 16.

But first, the Wildcats had to back up their talk and get past their first-round foe.

They didn't.

The No. 22 Arizona volleyball team (17-15) was eliminated from the postseason by Wisconsin (22-11) Friday, losing 3-1 during first round action. Game scores were 24-30, 30-25, 30-32 and 26-30. [Read article]

In the first game of this weekend's home tournament for the Arizona women's basketball team, 6-foot-5-inch sophomore center Shawntinice Polk took the opening tip against 5-foot-7-inch American guard Chanel Spriggs.

For the Wildcat opponents in the Fiesta Bowl Women's Classic in McKale Center, it seemed to be a metaphor for the weekend. The opponents were outsized and outmatched. Davids playing in a world of Goliaths ÷ and on Goliath's home court. [Read article]

It didn't take long for UA freshman center Dave Cwik to go from scapegoat to hero during the No. 14 Icecats' home contest against Arizona State Saturday night at the Tucson Convention Center arena.

In fact, it took just seven seconds.

With just under three minutes to go in overtime and the score tied 1-1, Cwik was called for cross-checking near center ice, sending him to the penalty box.

The Icecats looked like they might extend their winless streak to six games when Cwik raced out of the box with 58 seconds to play. But the first-year forward took a pass from junior captain Mickey Meehan near the Sun Devil blue line and buried the game winner past ASU goaltender Adam Schoenfeld as the UA bench poured onto the ice in celebration. [Read article]

Swimmer Ferns breaks pair of school recordS

Austin, Texas ÷ The UA men's and women's swimming teams completed their three-day competition at the 2003 Texas Invitational on Saturday, with sophomore Lyndon Ferns breaking two records in the meet for Arizona.

Ferns swam the 100-yard freestyle in 42.40, breaking the Arizona school record held by NCAA champion Roland Schoeman, who set the record of 42.56 in 2000. Ferns later broke the 49-second mark swimming the 100-meter freestyle in 48.99, breaking the South African national record held by former Arizona Wildcat Ryk Neethling. [Read article]