Junior middle blocker Whitney Follete motions after winning the third set 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)ASU volleyball sits at No. 41 in the RPI rankings. It would take a colossal upset over the next week for them to drop out of the top 64. Nevertheless, the team views the upcoming series against two top-20 teams to be of the utmost importance.
“I think we’re a bubble team,” coach Jason Watson said. “I think we’ve done an okay job this season, but when you’re a bubble team, the margins are really slim.”
Junior Macey Gardner said she’s not even certain the team has proved enough to qualify.
“Not yet,” she said. “Not until Sunday rolls around and we see our name on the TV.”
On Wednesday night, ASU takes on No. 17 UCLA. The two have not played against each other this season, and ASU has not had the pleasure to try to defend senior outside hitter Karsta Lowe, who leads the Pac-12 in kills (590) and kills per set (5.96).
“She’s got this funky left hand,” said Bianca Arellano, ASU junior setter. “She can drill the ball and line seam and cross court stuff so I think it’s a matter of lining up where she’s going to swing, take that shot away.”
Watson called Lowe a player of the year candidate in the conference.
“She’s a right side, she’s tall, shooting with range and she’s left-handed,” he said.
UCLA also has a strong playmaker in senior setter Julie Consani, who has the second-most kills per set in the conference at 11.50.
ASU only has two days to prepare for the Bruins. The team often takes Mondays off, and after Watson attributed Sunday’s defensive struggles against Washington to fatigue, this week was no different.
“We just have to have a good film session,” Gardner said. “We’re going to talk really deeply about these hitters and their side of the court and then just go take care of what we can.”
They’ll make careful observations of UCLA’s defense. Watson called the Bruins “wonderfully talented” at it, and ASU will have to perform better than last weekend.
On Friday night, ASU will finish the regular season at home against No. 14 Arizona. They too have a one of the best outside hitters in the conference in Madi Kingdon, who trails only Lowe in kills (549) and kills per set (5.23) in the conference leaders.
The team was focused more on UCLA, but Watson said Kingdon was also a candidate for player of the year in the Pac-12.
“Kingdon has just been pretty steady all season long for Arizona,” he said.
Despite the team’s mantra of focusing on the first match, any game against Arizona will be on the back of the players’ minds.
“I’m trying not to think of that match yet but it’s hard not to,” Gardner said.
The two teams last played against each other on Sept. 24, going to five sets before Arizona pulled away with a 15-13 victory. Kingdon had 20 kills but was forced into 15 errors. Gardner had 30 kills and nine errors.
Gardner has 525 kills total this season. She's third in the Pac-12, trailing only Lowe and Kingdon.
That’ll be the weekend: a battle of the outside hitters. Will the seniors who lead the Pac-12 get the upper hand? Or will ASU’s Gardner lead her team to the NCAA tournament?
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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