Arizona Volleyball Falls Short in NCAA Tournament Second Round

Match Overview

The match ended 3–1 in favor of Stanford, with the set scores: 25–16, 27–25, 25–17, 25–20.
The loss concludes Arizona’s 2025 season despite a strong effort. Solid blocking (10 total blocks) and holding Stanford under for some time could not be sustained as the Wildcats were hurt largely by serve-receive problems and a dominant serving performance by the Cardinal: Stanford delivered 8 aces, while Arizona had none.

Arizona VB. — Arizona Wildcats huddled together before playing Alabama State on August 29. | Sarah Rosewater/Arizona Athletics

Key Performers for Arizona

All stats and numbers are according to arizonawildcats.com

Jordan Wilson

Wilson led the Wildcats with 17 kills, added 7 digs, and recorded 3 blocks in her final collegiate match.
Her strong presence at the net and offensive firepower were highlights of the match for Arizona, even if the result didn’t go their way.

Carlie Cisneros

Cisneros contributed 12 kills on the offensive end.
Her attack efforts helped Arizona stay competitive, particularly when the Wildcats threatened at times in the match.

Journey Tucker

On defense at the net, Tucker led Arizona with five blocks, the most among the team.
Her blocking presence alongside others helped keep Stanford under a manageable hitting rate overall. One of the only aspects of the match that really got going for the Wildcats.

Set-by-Set Breakdown and Summary

Arizona Wildcats women's volleyball libero Giorgia Mandotti (15) hits the ball against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mullett Arena in Tempe on Sept. 21, 2023. | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Set 1 (16–25): Stanford came out strong, hitting .565 with three blocks and secured a convincing first set. Arizona struggled to match that energy out of the gate. Cisneros led UArizona with six kills and hit .500; Wilson added four kills, but the Wildcats couldn’t keep up.

Set 2 (27–25): Arizona fought back and forced a tight contest, ultimately pulling out the second set. The Wildcats hit .387. Wilson recorded six kills and two blocks, and Tucker added three kills on three swings, helping give Arizona some hope to extend the match.

Set 3 (17–25): Stanford regained control. Arizona tallied some blocks (three in the set), but the Cardinal maintained pressure, including net play and strong serving to take the set. Wilson still managed five kills, but the Wildcats couldn’t overcome Stanford’s momentum once again.

Arizona Wildcats women's volleyball libero Giorgia Mandotti (15) celebrates at Mullett Arena in Tempe on Sept. 21, 2023. | Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Set 4 (20–25): Arizona tried to stay in it. On offense, Cisneros had three kills; Wilson and another contributor (Sydnie Vanek) added two kills each. Defensively, Tucker had a pair of blocks. But overall, errors in serve receive, and an inability to generate consistent offense allowed Stanford to close out the win.

Arizona showed flashes of competitiveness especially in the second set but couldn’t maintain consistency. This was a match that ultimately felt that it needed to be a near perfect performance for Arizona to win against a high powered Stanford squad but too many shortcomings put them too far behind to overcome.

Bigger Picture & What It Means for Arizona

Reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament is meaningful as this season marks the first time since 2018 that Arizona made the NCAA Tournament, signifying a potential resurgence under head coach Charita Stubbs.

Despite the loss, Coach Stubbs emphasized the team’s growth and the foundation laid for future success. The experience of playing in the postseason, especially a tightly contested set like the second, can help the squad build character and cohesion in coming seasons.

Charita Stubbs coaching her team during a 2023 match with Pacific. | Marison Bilagody, Arizona Athletics

In its first NCAA Tournament appearance in years, Arizona fell short but not without showing glimpses of promise. The effort from senior leaders, combined with emerging contributors, suggests that this program is heading in the right direction. With returning talent and the lessons from this match, Arizona has reason to believe in even greater postseason runs ahead.