Wildcat Wrap: Arizona to host Pac-12 Beach Volleyball tournament

Editor’s note: With so many sports going on this winter and spring, we are re-introducing the Wildcat Wrap, a weekly recap that will focus on the Arizona programs that we do not have the time to cover on a regular basis but are certainly worthy of recognition.

No. 17 Arizona beach volleyball will have a home court advantage this week as it goes for its first-ever conference title.

The UA is hosting the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship April 27-29 at Bear Down Beach. The tournament is double-elimination and consists of a Winners Bracket and a Contenders Bracket. The Wildcats are the No. 5 seed and will face No. 4 California Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. PT.

Arizona (18-9, 3-3 Pac-12) is 11-3 at home this year. The Wildcats beat the Golden Bears 4-1 at the Pac-12 South Invitational in Tucson in late March.

Arizona is a longshot to win the tournament, as the Pac-12 features No. 1 ranked USC, No. 3 UCLA and No. 9 Stanford, all of whom beat the UA in the regular season.

For those interested in attending, Bear Down Beach is located at the corner of Enke Drive and Campbell Avenue at Jimenez Field, adjacent to the McKale Center.

Men’s golf

Arizona had a poor showing in the first round of the Pac-12 Men’s Golf Championship, shooting a 17-over which puts the team in 11th place. The No. 31 Wildcats have two rounds to catch up to leader Washington, which shot a 10-under. The tournament is being played at Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, Washington.

Christian Banke was Arizona’s top performer in the first round with a 1-over, which put him in a tie for 27th place.

Men’s tennis

Arizona entered last week’s Pac-12 Championships as the No. 1 seed but couldn’t advance past the quarterfinals, falling to Washington 4-2.

The early exit could potentially doom Arizona’s bid of hosting the NCAA Championships as a top-16 seed. The men’s tennis selection show is scheduled for May 2 at 3 p.m. PT and will be streamed on NCAA.com.

Track and field

The Wildcats return to action this Saturday when they host the Desert Heat Classic. The event runs from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT at Roy P. Drachman Stadium.

The Arizona women’s high jump squad ranks No. 2 nationally, led by Tallie Bonds and Lillian Lowe who are both in the top-10 individually.