Sports • Tuesday, March 25, 2014
THE DAILY WILDCAT • 7
HOT ‘N’ NOT REBECCA MARIE SASNETT/ THE DAILY WILDCAT
THE DAILY WILDCAT
ARIZONA SOPHOMORE OUTFIELDER Zach Gibbons (23) runs off the field after being tagged out during Arizona’s 12-1 victory against Washington State on March 14 at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats started Pac-12 play 1-5.
BY ROSE ALY VALENZUELA
Arizona baseball has only won one of the seven games it has played since March 14. The Wildcats beat Washington State once, but then lost their next two games to the Cougars. Arizona then lost a single game to Grand Canyon and was swept by Washington. Arizona is 1-5 in the Pac-12. Wichita State became the first No. 1 seed to be knocked out of the NCAA tournament when it lost the first game of its season on Sunday to No. 8-seed Kentucky. The Shockers (35-1) won an NCAArecord 35 games to start the season, but failed to become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976. The Arizona Diamondbacks traveled to Australia to lose both games against the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend. The Diamondbacks dropped the first game 3-1 and the second game 7-5. Arizona has its home opener on March 31 against the San Francisco Giants. The top NFL draft prospect, former Michigan offensive lineman Taylor Lewan, is facing assault charges. Lewan allegedly assaulted two Ohio State fans in an incident that occurred after Michigan’s loss to Ohio State on Dec 1. If convicted, he will face a fine of up to $500 or 93 days in jail.
Arizona men’s basketball made it to its third Sweet Sixteen in the last four years. The No. 1 seed Wildcats beat No. 8-seed Gonzaga 84-61 on Sunday in the Round of 32, after opening with a 68-59 win over No. 16 seed Weber State. Arizona will face San Diego State in Anaheim, Calif., for a spot in the Elite Eight, which would be Sean Miller’s second with Arizona. Arizona junior guard Nick Johnson is one of the four national finalists for this year’s Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Trophy. If Johnson wins the trophy, he will become the first Arizona player to earn this award. Arizona softball won five games in a row after getting swept at No. 1 UCLA. The Wildcats won two at UNLV, and then three against Oregon State by the mercy rule. Arizona outscored the Beavers 36-2 over 15 innings. The Arizona women’s tennis team defeated Oregon on Saturday to move to a 14-1 record for the season and a perfect 3-0 in Pac-12 conference play. Arizona head coach Vicky Maes said that the women have been able to dominate some really solid teams so far.
Rec Center field to be renamed after Sitton
SAVANNAH DOUGLAS/
AFTER A BREAKAWAY, Arizona sophomore guard Gabe York (1) lays the ball up during Arizona’s 84-61 victory against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament in Viejas Arena in San Diego. Arizona reached the Sweet Sixteen for the second year in a row.
The Daily Wildcat
CLUB SPORTS NOTEBOOK
— Follow Rose Aly Valenzuela @RoseAlyVal
FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY WILDCAT
ASSISTANT COACH Tyson Swetnam leads new players on the Arizona rugby team at Rincon Field in fall 2013. The Wildcats will move to a renamed Cherry Field next to the UA campus this week.
for the rugby team and the fans.
BY DANIELA VIZCARRA The Daily Wildcat
The No. 16 Arizona men’s rugby team lost at No. 5 UCLA 76-13 over spring break, but the head coach and players remain optimistic. Head coach Sean Duffy said he feels the team will improve over the course of the season, starting with a home game against No. 11 ASU on Saturday at 2 p.m. “The team will need to shift [its] focus and prepare for the last three games of the season,” Duffy said. “I think we will be able to have a good close game against ASU.” Saturday will mark the 45th anniversary of the UA rugby team, and in a ceremony starting at 1 p.m., Cherry Field will be renamed in honor of former Arizona rugby head coach Dave Sitton. A golf tournament and alumni brunch will also be held this weekend to support the rugby team. Cherry Field opened last semester and is next to the Student Recreation Center on Sixth Street, across from Arizona Stadium. The field will be named William David Sitton Field. Sitton was the head rugby coach for nearly 40 years at the UA . He died unexpectedly in 2013, and Duffy has taken over as head coach. The team played its last game at Rincon Vista Sports Complex on Saturday. The renamed Cherry Field will become the permanent home field for the rugby team. “I think it is a natural fit to make the Dave Sitton Field our new home,” Duffy said. “To play on campus in the shadow of Arizona Stadium will be incredible.” This Saturday will be a white-out game
Women’s Volleyball sweeps Las Vegas Open This past weekend, No. 7 Arizona Women’s A Volleyball team went undefeated to win the Las Vegas Open. The Wildcats defeated UCSB in two sets to win the championship. Co-captain and senior Kristle Schulz said she was proud of her team’s performance in Las Vegas. “This is the first time in a while we have been able to play with most of our team and they did a fantastic job,” Schulz said. Prior to playing in the championship round, Arizona defeated Miami University and Santa Clara in pool play. The team also beat Cal Poly and Cal in bracket play. “Our team as a whole really clicks when we are all available to play,” Schulz said. Unlike the A team, the No. 2 B team did not have a clean sweep at the tournament. It went 2-4 at the Las Vegas Open. In pool play, the B team won against UCLA and Colorado School of Mines, but lost to Colorado University. In the bracket play, the B team lost to Washington State, Santa Clara and PLNU. The Arizona Women’s A and B volleyball teams have qualified and will play in nationals in Reno, Nev., April 3-5.
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SAND VOLLEYBALL
Arizona imports sand from California for play California would sit tighter, Stevens said. “All our volleyball sand Beach volleyball has come is run through a plant to Tucson — just minus the and washed many times beach. on top of that so it comes White sand, 1,250 tons out pure sand. We get our of it, was shipped from a sand locally from washes,” rock quarry in Southern Stevens said, referring to California, according to southern Arizona volleyball Steve Walker, the head coach sand that is delivered to of the new sand volleyball various venues around team at the UA. Sand town, including bars and volleyball marks the 20th country clubs. sport for Arizona Athletics. The upkeep of the Pro The sand Style sand comes from a is easier mineral deposit There the sand is gritty and hurts since it that is “not doesn’t your feet. Our court sand lets your directly from the hollow out. feet sink into it. beach, but best “Every — Madi Kingdon, simulates the junior other day sand you would a crew of find on the players beach,” Walker said. rake the court so it doesn’t deposits, she said. The four sand courts D&D Materials is a get dug out,” said Walker. are on the university’s old locally owned and operated Junior Madi Kingdon said football practice field south landscaping business she prefers the California sand of the McKale Center ticket that has been in business to the sand at places such as office. March 7 was opening in Tucson for 50 years. Tucson Racquet Club. weekend for the team’s first Bruce Stevens, a longtime “There, the sand is gritty season. employee, said even and hurts your feet. Our Bringing outside sand to local sand is getting more court sand lets your feet sink the desert wasn’t cheap. expensive, rising to roughly into it,” Kingdon said. The haul of white sand cost $24 a ton in Tucson. But this Future plans for the approximately $45,000, would still be $15,000 less volleyball complex include a and an additional $35,000 than the California sand — concession area, restrooms, to ship, according to Suzy and his estimate includes a grandstand with Ramada Mason, senior associate delivery. for fans and a fifth court, director of athletics, event Arizona sand is a littler Mason said. management. looser and sand from The brand of the sand is BY CAITLIN WATTERS
Arizona Sonora News Service
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CARLOS HERRERA/THE DAILY WILDCAT
SENIOR EMILY KISER returns Grand Canyon University’s serve during Arizona 3-1 win over the Antelopes at the Arizona Sand Volleyball Courts on March 8. Arizona’s sand is from California.
Pro Style Court, and Walker explained that the lighter tint retains less heat. This is the main reason for not getting cheaper sand from a place that has an abundance of it, the Sonoran Desert around Tucson. Arizona sand is very sharp and can be dusty and a bit darker. “The heat factor was a concern,” Mason said. Pro Style sand is low-dust, resists compaction and matches most Pacific Ocean
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