Breaking in 10 new players was never going to be easy for Arizona volleyball. Throw in the adversity created by the coronavirus pandemic, and a slow start to the season was inevitable.
The Wildcats lost to the reigning WAC champion New Mexico State Aggies in five sets (25-23, 18-25, 16-25, 25-14, 19-25) on Saturday in McKale Center.
It was Arizona’s first match since Nov. 30, 2019, though only four current players were on the roster then.
Luckily, Saturday was only an exhibition.
“We’re not very good, that’s the reality of it at this particular point,” Arizona head coach Dave Rubio said.