Arizona needed Carlie Cisneros to focus on defense and passing last year. This year, the Wildcats need more aggression from her, and they got it in a 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-20) victory over the Alabama State Hornets to start the 2025 season.
What was the biggest thing the team got out of the match?
“A win,” said Arizona head coach Rita Stubbs. “Honestly, that’s our goal. Take each day at a time. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing against. Go out there and finish it the way we can. If it goes five, it goes five. If it goes three, it goes three. As long as we get the victory.”
They also got to see new things from several new people, including Cisneros. She had the Wildcats’ first three points on kills and led the team with six kills on nine swings in the opening set. She did it without committing an error. Her first hitting error came at 7-7 in the second set.
Cisneros ended the match tied with senior Jordan Wilson for the match lead in kills. Both outside hitters had 10 kills with Cisneros hitting .261 and Wilson going for .270. Wilson had a double-double with 10 digs to go with her kills. She also had two aces to give her a team-high 12 points. Cisneros had four digs and an assist.
Cisneros wasn’t the only player showing new offensive prowess in her opportunities. Middle blocker Adrianna Bridges is getting her first real opportunity to start this year after sitting behind three more experienced players last season.
“It’s been crazy, because it’s like a year ago, I was following in the other middles’ footsteps, and they were so kind to me, so helpful,” Bridges said about her changing role. “So the fact that it’s the other way around a whole year later, and I didn’t expect this to happen so soon, I’m very happy for this opportunity, for sure.”
The sophomore had 8 kills on 15 swings and a .400 hitting percentage. She also had a service ace for 9 points. She put into practice what she and the coaching staff have worked on for over a year.
“We’ve just been working on her making herself available,” Stubbs said. “Something that we talked about a lot last year, as well. Everyone wants to get set, but if you’re not in the right position, then it puts a lot of pressure on Avery [Scoggins] to try to put the ball in their hands. So, she’s off the net, she warrants being set. She’s long and can figure it out.”
Junior Sydnie Vanek, who is also a newbie as a starting middle blocker, continued the positive adjustment to the position that she demonstrated in Arizona’s scrimmage and exhibition match. Vanek accounted for six kills on .714 hitting. She also had a block for 6.5 points.
Up Next for Arizona Volleyball
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (0-1) @ Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
When: Saturday, Aug. 30 at 12:30 p.m. MST
Where: McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Streaming:ESPN+
Stats:Arizona Live Stats
Fresno State Bulldogs (1-0) @ Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
When: Sunday, Aug. 31 at 12:30 p.m. MST
Where: McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Streaming: ESPN+
Stats:Arizona Live Stats
Stubbs was able to get time for some of her freshmen once Arizona built a lead in the second set. Outside hitter Paige Thies came in for Cisneros late in the set. She got her first official kill on her first point. She ended the set with three kills on three swings.
“It was just so exciting,” Thies said. “Being with everyone was such an unreal experience for the first time, and being part of the team on the floor was such a good feeling.”
Right side hitter Britt Carlson also contributed in her first match as a Wildcat. The transfer from UCF came in late in the second set, replacing senior starter Ana Heath. Carlson then started the third set. She was effective in her time, ending the match with three kills on .750 hitting.
“Excited that they went out there and they weren’t nervous,” Stubbs said. “Jordan served the ball over, and so immediately Paige got her first skill to shake off any jitters that she has. And, you know, Britt’s been coming along well, so she earned her right to be out there.”
As for how she earned that right, Carlson said she’s just settling into the new environment after her second transfer in three years.
“I would say I’m just connecting with the team well right now,” Carlson said. “You know, having a new program, new sets, new setters, being around new people. And so I think throughout pre-season, I’ve just gotten used to playing around everyone and learned how to flow with the team really well.”
By now, the grad student is an old hand at the transfer game.
“It’s just different every time,” Carlson said. “I guess this time I’m a little older, so it’s easier, I would say. And the team has been super welcoming. Everyone’s been great. So it’s been awesome.”
The first two sets were fairly comfortable for Arizona. The Wildcats dominated the first set, leading wire to wire. Alabama State put up a better fight in the second set. The Hornets built a 4-1 lead and led for the last time at 11-10. From there, UA took control.
It was the third set that got interesting. Stubbs played with her lineup some more in the final frame.
Arizona led by as many as six points several times. At 17-11, the Hornets started to chip away. The visitors went on a 7-2 run to make it a one-point set at 19-18. It was again a single digit at 20-19. Arizona closed it out on a 5-1 run to end the match.
“I put different people in, and you go two sets not doing anything, it’s kind of hard to keep yourself dialed in,” Stubbs said. “The mature players can make that happen, so gotta teach the babies how to be better.”
Arizona played without junior middle blocker Journey Tucker, who became a starter in 2024. Tucker missed the team’s Red-Blue scrimmage and exhibition against Northern Colorado, as well. Stubbs had no timeline for her return.
“She’s coming along,” the head coach said.
Arizona was also once again playing on the basketball court without the new Taraflex floors. The new court design was not made with volleyball in mind, so the white lines on part of the floor conflict with where the lines of the volleyball court need to be laid down. The Wildcats were able to address that to some degree by using black tape instead of the white tape used for the lines at their scrimmage and exhibition, but it was not ideal. The new floors will not be available until October due to an issue with the original product.
“It was the color of the top of the floor,” Stubbs said. “The one they had looked purple when you looked at it on television. We can’t have that. Needs to be the right navy.”
The Wildcats face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday. The Islanders are the only team in the weekend tournament that made the NCAA Tournament last season, but they had a difficult start to the season. TAMUCC built a two-set lead only to have Fresno State come back with the reverse sweep.
Fans hoping to see the Wildcats take on the Islanders should be aware that parking will be difficult to come by because of the football game on Friday evening. Parking is restricted beginning at 11 a.m. MST.