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No. 17 ASU volleyball didn't play poorly in the first two sets but it looked as though the Sun Devils were killing themselves. After two error-laden sets, ASU rallied for a five set victory over Washington State.
In the first set, ASU made eight attacking errors and five service errors. Washington State made a total of four errors that set and ASU lost 26-28.
ASU fell 25-21 in set two, and made nine total errors in the process.
That pattern reversed itself in the third set as WSU made 11 attacking errors and ASU finished with a rather easy 25-18 victory.
“(WSU’s) hitting errors I think were a direct function of our serve,” ASU coach Jason Watson said. “We missed one serve in game three… that in and of itself forced them to have to go play the game longer.”
Junior outside hitter Macey Gardner said the team focused on direction in the latter sets.
“We came out okay in the first and we were scoring points and that’s kind of been our MO is, we’re coming out and we’re really strong,” Gardner said. “Then half way through our first set we’re like, ‘Okay, what’s going on, they’re kind of catching up.’”
In the final three sets, it was WSU making the untimely errors, and ASU showing patience while sustaining and winning long rallies. This had been a point of emphasis in practice and matches.
“We won a fair few of those and that I think means we’re getting better,” Watson said in regards to the rallies.
ASU was behind 15-20 in set four, but two hitting errors and a defensive slip-up put ASU back in the match. Junior outside hitter Whitney Follette blocked a hit to tie the game at 20, and sophomore outside hitter Kizzy Willey got a block to win the set.
Blocking was huge for the Sun Devils. They finished with 17.
“We had 17 blocks, it’s been a long time since we had that many blocks,” Watson said.
To be precise, it’s been since Sept. 2011.
WSU has three hitters with at least 180 kills, and ASU did a solid job limiting them. The leading killer, sophomore outside hitter Kyra Holt, finished the match with only five kills but also had five errors on 28 attempts.
“We didn’t see her like we expected to see her like we would in film,” Gardner said.
She said Holt used a wrist-away technique and they picked up that tendency early. Holt’s final hitting error was a block by 5’5 junior setter Bianca Arellano, a block that secured the match for ASU.
“She does get up,” Watson said. “You look at her and you think there’s a defensive liability, but no more than anyone.”
ASU won the fifth set 15-11 after taking a 9-4 lead, but their tendency to play streaky and go hot and cold quickly showed again. WSU cut the lead to 9-8.
Coach Jason Watson talks to his players during the match vs Washington State on Sunday, Oct. 19th, 2014, at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils would rally from two sets down to beat the Cougars 3-2. (Photo by Daniel Kwon)Senior setter Shannan McCready, streaking to the right side on a spiked ball, dove and dug it out. A pass later, junior outside hitter Macey Gardner got the kill, putting ASU up 11-9.
Watson said it was a turning point in the match.
“I thought that dig late in game five that (McCready) laid out and dug and returned for a point… I thought that was a huge, huge play,” Watson said. “(It) created some separation.”
ASU had the most digs of the season, finishing with 95, one off their all-time record. Watson, upon seeing the 95 on the stat sheet, was visibly astounded.
“Wow,” he said. “I didn’t even see that stat line. That’s really good.”
Gardner finished with 23. Freshman libero Halle Harker had 20 and Arellano had 19.
On WSU’s side, junior libero Kate Sommer finished with 32 digs.
“Their libero was all over the place,” freshman setter Madison McDaniel said.
McDaniel got playing time as a right-side hitter for the first time in years. Sophomore outside hitter BreElle Bailey, struggling as of late, was benched in the second set after getting only one kill but three errors on seven attempts.
“Most people look at it as being really hard physically but I think it’s really hard emotionally,” Watson said. “We have absolute faith that Bre’s going to turn it around and she’s going to compete and she’s going to get better.”
In her place, McDaniel played well defensively, getting five blocks.
“I think (McDaniel) did a great job today of identifying the outside hitter and just putting a great block up for us,” Gardner said. “She really got some good touches and she just has really good eyes on where the ball’s going to be placed.”
Watson was impressed with her defensive effort as well, but said she needed improvement at the offensive position she isn’t accustomed to. She finished with two kills and six errors.
Gardner, who finished with 25 kills, took possession of sixth place in ASU history for kills. She now has 1396.
“It’s an honor but I would say for me it doesn’t really matter,” she said. “I just see it as hitters we’re trying to do the best for our team.”
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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