Wildcats overcome early setbacks to clinch 3-1 win in a nail-biting match
In an intense showdown, the Arizona Wildcats took down No. 21 BYU on Wednesday in four sets, winning 3-1 in a match that had fans on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
Arizona (13-9, 7-5 Big 12) has two consecutive wins against top 25 teams — No. 13 TCU last week and BYU (18-6, 6-6) on Wednesday night.
First Set: Arizona started strong in the opening set, battling BYU point for point. The set was closely contested, but the Wildcats managed to secure a narrow 26-24 victory to take an early lead in the match.
Second Set: Arizona jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second set, but BYU quickly turned the momentum in their favor. The Cougars surged ahead 8-3, then extended their lead to 10-7. Despite Arizona’s efforts to catch up, including tying the score at 16-16, BYU maintained control, leading 21-17 before calling a timeout. BYU held strong to win the set 25-21, evening the match at 1-1.
Third Set: The third set started tightly, with Arizona leading 8-7, only to see BYU regain a slight edge at 11-8. Both teams traded points in a back-and-forth battle, tied at 19-19 before Arizona nudged ahead 21-20. After another series of exchanges and a timeout by BYU, Arizona eventually pulled away to take the set 25-22, reclaiming the lead at 2-1.
Fourth Set: The final set proved to be the most dramatic. Arizona and BYU traded points early, with BYU taking a slight advantage at 6-10 after an overturned challenge. Arizona fought back, narrowing the gap to tie at 13-13. Momentum swung multiple times, with neither team able to pull away. Fans were on their feet as the score reached 24-24. In a thrilling finish, Arizona secured two consecutive points to win the set 26-24, sealing the match 3-1.
Arizona’s resilience and determination shone through, particularly in the high-pressure moments of the third and fourth sets, leaving fans exhilarated by one of the season’s most exciting matches.
Arizona hosts Texas Tech (10-13, 2-9) on Friday at 11 a.m. in a “Field Trip” promotion, with many school children in attendance at McKale Center.
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