The Arizona Wildcats went into their home opener against No. 11 Washington hoping to right the ship after a poor showing against Utah in their season opener.
It would be easy to blame it all on UA’s youth, but the newcomers provided the biggest spark for the team. Instead, it was veteran Paige Whipple who struggled against the Utes, causing head coach Dave Rubio to challenge her to elevate her game.
Whipple rose to the occasion Friday with 11 kills against the Huskies, two more than she had in both losses to Utah combined, but it was not enough as they beat Arizona in three competitive sets (25-21, 25-20, 29-27).