Arizona’s women’s volleyball program entered Friday night’s match against Iowa State with a special celebration: senior middle blocker Journey Tucker watched teammate Madi Kingdon Rishel inducted into the university’s Volleyball Ring of Honor. The 2,764 fans in the McKale Center expected a spirited performance, and the Wildcats delivered a strong start, taking the first set 25-19.
Early lead evaporates as errors mount
After securing a six‑point advantage, Arizona’s momentum stalled. Head coach Rita Stubbs noted, “We started making a lot of attacking errors… we had six different bodies trying to do several things, all having the same desire, but just not working together.” The Wildcats finished the set with 30 kills but committed 26 hitting errors, a disparity that set the tone for the remainder of the match.
Middle blocker Journey Tucker was the lone bright spot, posting four kills on eight attempts without an error, adding six total blocks (four solo) for a team‑high nine points. Outside hitter Carlie Cisneros led the offense with eight kills, but her effort was offset by 11 hitting errors. She also contributed two aces, two blocks and seven digs for 11.5 points.
Iowa State capitalizes and wins three straight sets
The Cyclones responded to Arizona’s early lead by tightening their defense and serving. They seized the second set 25-20, then dominated the third 25-16 and the fourth 25-10. Stubbs described the shift: “We were doing okay, and then once we got frustrated, we couldn’t get out of our own way. We allowed them to dictate what we did… it became cyclical, which is really unfortunate.”
Iowa State never trailed after the first set, pulling away with an 8‑point run at 12‑12 in the second set and extending leads in the third and fourth. Arizona’s attempts to rally—such as a brief 7‑2 deficit in the fourth that briefly narrowed to 22‑10—were insufficient to stop the Cyclones’ surge.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will travel to Lubbock next weekend to face Texas Tech, a program currently under new leadership. The Red Raiders dismissed head coach Tony Graystone in September after a serious abuse allegation, and interim coach Alisa Blair has guided the team to a 2‑5 record, including a recent five‑set loss to Iowa State.
Stubbs expressed optimism about the upcoming challenge: “I think Alisa is doing a good job getting them going, and there’s some energy behind it… they’re competing, and it’s exactly what you would expect them to do. So we have to… I don’t think there is a team in the conference right now that is an easy match.”
Arizona hopes to rebound from the loss, improve ball control, and translate the dedication shown during the Ring of Honor ceremony into a conference win.
Original reporting: Arizona Desert Swarm (Tucson Sports) — read the source article.
