Away V-ball to heat up Pac-10 race

"I don't think it's a must win situation," he said of the road contests against the unranked Oregon schools. "It's important to go up to Oregon and play well. If we do that, a (pair of) win(s) will take care of itself."

The 10th-ranked Wildcats play Oregon (8-18 overall, 0-14 in the Pac-10) Friday at 7 p.m. and Oregon State (14-13, 5-9) Sunday at 1 p.m. They swept both teams when they came to Tucson last month.

With an Arizona sweep and Washington, who plays at Stanford and Cal, splits, there would be a tie for third place. Assuming seventh-ranked Southern Cal defeats UCLA at home Friday, Arizona could pull into a tie with the Trojans with a victory in Tucson in the final weekend of the regular season.

"The scenario I'd like to see unfold, assuming we take care of business this weekend, is a match that determines not only second place (in the Pac-10), but a top-eight seed," Rubio said.

A pair of wins this weekend would make Rubio the second coach in UA history to reach the 100-win mark.

"We've experienced a lot more success this year," Rubio said. "Even though we made it to the tournament (last season), the fact that we've won so much (this year) is different than before."

The Ducks pose little threat to Arizona, having lost 16 of their last 17 matches but Oregon State creates a little more excitement.

"Oregon State is a huge rivalry," setter Michaela Ebben said. "It's a battle and it always has been."