The ASU volleyball team will embark on its last road trip of the year when it travels to the Pacific Northwest to take on Washington State on Thursday and Washington on Friday.
The Sun Devils (9-13, 4-9) are in search of their fifth Pac-10 victory of the year, which would surpass last season's total of four.
"I think we're a better team this year than last," ASU coach Brad Saindon said. "I would like our record to show it."
The match against the Cougars will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net on a tape-delay. It will be the Sun Devils' first appearance on television this year and the first time ever for most of the freshmen on the roster.
"I don't think [the television broadcast] will be a problem once we start playing," freshman middle blocker Colette Meek said.
The last time ASU and Washington State faced off, the Sun Devils jumped out quickly and won the first two games before holding on for the five-set victory on Oct. 16. The Cougars have won just one match since that time, leaving them in a tie with Oregon for last place in the Pac-10 standings.
The Sun Devils did not have the services of sophomore outside hitter Nina Reeves in that contest due to an emergency appendectomy, but she is back at full strength for the upcoming match.
Washington State almost pulled off a monumental upset Friday, pushing No. 1 Washington to five games before falling 15-9 in the deciding game. The Cougars played the match in front of 1,011 fans at Bohler Gym, a spot Saindon calls the hardest place to go in the Pac-10.
"The crowd at Washington State is really into it," Saindon said. "They really know how to get to people."
ASU heads into the match off of a win over Oregon on Friday at Wells Fargo Arena in three games. The victory snapped a five-game losing streak.
The lone win for the Cougars in the Pac-10 season came against Oregon on Oct. 28 in a five-set match.
The Sun Devils head into the WSU match with a number of players performing well lately. Freshman Sydney Donahue had 42 combined kills against Oregon and Oregon State, including a freshman-record 30 against OSU. In addition, Meek broke out of a slump with 14 kills against the Ducks. Meek had a career-high .529 hitting percentage in the match.
Outside hitters Jennifer Todd and Kelly Rosin lead the attack for WSU. They combined for 31 kills against UW on Friday.
Saindon deemed the trip to the Washington schools one of the toughest of the season. Not only must ASU face the No. 1 team in the nation, but also a two-hour bus ride required to travel from one school to the other after the flight into Washington.
Reach the reporter at kyle.odegard@asu.edu.
