Arizona Beach Volleyball is wrapping up its regular season and heading into its first Big 12 Tournament.
On April 18 the Sand Cats beat UTEP to close their season on senior night. This was a much needed win after splitting the Boise State Invitational 1-1.
The team’s biggest challenge comes with the Big 12 Tournament that starts Thursday at TCU in Texas.
The team struggled to find a groove and collected most of its losses in the beginning of the season but as the season progressed, so did the Sand Cats, leading them to an overall 18-10 record heading into tournament play.
“We always play a very competitive schedule with getting ready for post-season competition in mind,” said Head Coach Steven Walker. “No doubt this year’s schedule of matches has provided exactly that.”
The Sand Cats suffered multiple losses including to Grand Canyon University early in the season but bounced back to have phenomenal wins against Oregon and more recently Pepperdine.
In the last home invitational, the Wildat Spring Challenge, the team faced some of its toughest competition including ASU, Utah, TCU and Pepperdine. The Cats fell 4-1 to TCU before finishing the tournament with a 3-2 win over Pepperdine.
Going into its first Big 12 Tournament, sophomore Ashlyn Zillikan and freshman Madeline Walker have been a standout pair for the Wildcats, with an overall record of 20-7, going 8-2 in their last 10 matches.
During the battle and tough loss against TCU in the Wildcat Spring Challenge this duo put up the only point for the Cats.
Coach Walker describes them as beach volleyball junkies saying, “They can’t get enough of the sport and more importantly they love the process of getting better.”
“Collectively, they have and have always had, going back to their high school days, the kind of chemistry that every pair hopes to have,” he said. “They are awesome teammates and maybe even better friends off the court.”
Seniors Kylee Fitzsimmmons and Brooke Blutreich also have created a fierce duo this season, going 6-4 in their last 10 matches to close out their collegiate careers.
“We have had any number of things out of our control that could have derailed this group and our season,” Walker said. “I am very proud of the season we’ve put together so far and I can’t wait to finish out strong.”
Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.
