No. 7 ASU women’s volleyball is prepping to begin Pac-12 play against No. 14 Arizona.
Over the past three seasons, ASU vs. Arizona has consistently been a battle of outside hitters. Arizona's dominant force, Madi Kingdon, tallied more than 500 kills last season.
Kingdon graduated last year.
Arizona went 2-0 vs. ASU that season, and Kingdon was a big reason why. Gardner and head coach Jason Watson both sounded like, from a competition standpoint, ASU had a better chance without having to face Kingdon.
Gardner said that she wants to get started strong against the Wildcats, but for different reasons than her 2-4 career record against the school.
“I think more of it comes from it’s one of my last times playing against them and it’s a rival match,” she said. “It’s going to be a fun one no matter what but it’ll be nice to come out with a win.”
This year, the Wildcats feature a strong middle blocker in senior Halli Amaro. She has a strong slide attack, similar to Katie Stadick from Illinois. ASU contained Stadick well in sets two and three before Illinois switched its rotations around.
When Gardner was defending Stadick, the defense got good reads. Junior outsider hitter Cassidy Pickrell was less successful in containing Stadick.
Gardner said Amaro isn’t as influential in the Wildcat offense as Stadick in Illinois, but she’s athletic and hits hard.
“She has some range, she’ll hit down the line,” Gardner said. “We’re just going to try to line up well with her.”
Watson said the Wildcats' lineup runs through their setter, junior Penina Snuka.
“She’s the one that’s make all that stuff happen, putting their hitters into some really nice spots,” he said.
One of ASU’s setters is questionable, but reports lean toward her playing. Freshman setter Kylie Pickrell injured her right knee against Illinois and is believed to have an MCL sprain.
“I got hit higher on my arm (by) the ball and as I was falling back with my legs out I just felt a pop with my knee,” she said. “If I moved laterally at all, it felt like I had this gaping hole in my knee.”
Pickrell was sporting a large black brace on her knee at practice on Wednesday. There appeared to be swelling; she asked a trainer if she could have an extra-large brace in place of the large she had been wearing.
It’s her second knee injury of 2015. In May, she injured her meniscus while hitting with her club team.
Pickrell said the pain isn’t as bad this time, but it’s more constant.
“The pain is a little more chronic, which is the annoying part,” she said.
She said she expects to play. Head coach Jason Watson said he plans on her playing but needs to observe her during practice.
If she is out, ASU would have to revert back to the 5-1 offensive system it’s used in the past.
“The ability to do both isn’t as dramatic a change as you’d expect,” Watson said.
The setter plays all six rotations on the floor in a 5-1 system. Watson said the team has practiced with it throughout the season.
If she has to sit, the main change would be the amount of play the right side hitters receive. Junior outside hitters BreElle Bailey and Kizzy Ricedorff split rotations, so Watson would have to find a way to get them both times.
Ricedorff has played on the left side before, so she could take reps from Cassidy Pickrell if necessary.
It sounded like Kylie would play on Thursday night, and it’s very likely she’ll play on Sunday against Oregon State. The Beavers have struggled this year; after going 21-13 last season, its nonconference record was 2-8.
It’s a young team that only has two seniors on the squad after graduations from last year. One constant is sophomore outside hitter Mary-Kate Marshall, whom Watson called one of the best players in the country.He coached Marshall at Team USA in China over summer.
“She can play,” Watson said. “She’s legit.”
He said that putting pressure on the players around her might work better than trying to limit her.
“I don’t know if it’s a matter of trying to limit her as it is to try and (put) a little bit of pressure on her but (see) what the other people are doing and see if we can put some pressure on them as well,” he said.
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