After the team did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament this season, Arizona volleyball head coach Dave Rubio decided that taking part in the Women’s National Invitational Volleyball Championship would be a good experience for his young team. Getting an opportunity to play more matches, especially in a win-or-go-home tournament, would help them prepare for a possible NCAA run next season. That young team got even younger on Friday when the NIVC opened, and the youngsters stepped up.
Freshman middle blocker Alayna Johnson had a career night as the team defeated the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley in three sets (26-24, 25-15, 25-16) on Friday evening.