The Arizona Wildcats just got absolutely steamrolled, suffering a straight-up sweep at the hands of the undefeated Tulsa Golden Hurricanes. This wasn’t just a loss; it was a rough one, dropping their season record to 2-3. What makes it sting even more? They actually blew a 17-10 lead in the first set, essentially letting Tulsa right back into a game they should have taken.
The Collapse Was Real, From Start to Finish
After a tough, competitive loss against No. 10 Creighton the day before, head coach Rita Stubbs made it clear that effort against Tulsa was everything. Her concern? It became a full-blown prophecy. Tulsa, now sitting pretty at 5-0, snatched that first set 29-27, saving three Arizona set points in the process. You could feel the air go out of the gym, and it only got worse from there. The Golden Hurricanes ran away with the next two sets, locking them down 25-16 and 25-18. “They kept coming,” Stubbs said, summing up the feeling perfectly. “We got timid.” That’s never what you want to hear from your squad.
Where Did It All Go Wrong? Everywhere.
Arizona struggled across the court, plain and simple. Serve receive was a huge mess; Tulsa absolutely feasted with 11 aces, constantly throwing the Wildcats out of system. That messed up the setting big time, with balls flying behind attackers or just sailing over outstretched hands. Then there was the defense. While Tulsa seemed to get to every single ball, Arizona let too many drops land in unexpected spots they just couldn’t cover. Part of Tulsa’s success? They moved that ball around like pros, with five players racking up at least five kills each. Jill Hanson was a beast, crushing 12 kills on 17 swings with zero errors for a .706 hitting efficiency. Even their setter, Brittany Bacorn, was a problem, not just dishing out 29 assists but also slamming five kills on .714 hitting, especially with those seven successful setter dumps in the final sets. Stubbs had a blunt assessment: “We are slow to get back ready. We are too lax.”
Searching for That Alpha Energy
On Arizona’s side, the offense just wasn’t there consistently. Only three players managed at least five kills, and just one broke past six. Coach Stubbs tried everything, subbing players in and out because she was “looking for our Alpha.” Brookelyn Hatton and Payton Woods seemed to bring some fire, with Stubbs noting they “added some fight.” Woods came in for parts of two sets, subbing for Destiny Ndam-Simpson and Carlie Cisneros, bagging four kills on .300 hitting and a block for 4.5 points. Hatton, as a defensive specialist, grabbed a kill and five digs. Even freshman Gigi Whann got a run as libero before starter Brenna Ginder came back in. Ndam-Simpson did post a double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs, plus an ace for a team-leading 14 points, but she was also a victim of five of Tulsa’s aces.
This team needs to bounce back fast. They’re up against Pepperdine, who’s sitting at 3-2, on Sunday at 10 a.m. MST. Can they find that missing intensity and shake off this brutal loss, or will the “too lax” play continue?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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