It was early in the Pac-10 season, and the ASU volleyball team was at a crossroads.
The Sun Devils (9-12, 4-5 Pac-10) were mired in a three-match losing streak before a deflating 0-3 sweep at the hands of UA, prolonging ASU’s struggles.
Faced with a winless record in conference play and a relentless Pac-10 schedule ahead, the Sun Devils rejuvenated their conference season.
Four weeks and four conference wins later, ASU gets another shot at No. 23 UA in round two of the Territorial Cup Series.
With a series of impressive wins over conference foes, the Sun Devils believe they are a different team since their first bout against the Wildcats (15-7, 4-5).
“We’re more confident with ourselves,” freshman outside hitter Danica Mendivil said. “We know we can win now, and I think that’s a big thing. Especially for past seasons, [UA] struggled in the Pac-10, and now that everybody, even ourselves, see that we can do well in the Pac-10. I think that helps us a lot.”
The ASU defense will be forced to battle UA senior outside hitter Tiffany Owens. Owens is riding a seven-match streak of at least 10 kills and 10 digs.
“We’re really working on making sure our front line defense, which starts with the block, is in the same system and on the same page as our back line defense,” senior libero Sarah Johnson said. “When our back row defense fragments from our front row, that’s when we get into some struggles.”
The ASU defense was previously unable to stop the UA offense as four Wildcats smashed at least nine kills.
“They’re an extremely talented team,” ASU coach Jason Watson said. “After last time we played them, we got exposed serve-receive wise, we got exposed defensively, and we got exposed offensively. For us after that match, we talked to our team about taking care of stuff on our side of the net.”
On its own side of the net is where ASU will be focused on elevating its passing game.
Watson hopes the familiar setting of Wells Fargo Arena will aid the Sun Devils in that facet of the game.
“We are a lot more comfortable with that skill in our gym than we are on the road,” Watson said. “That isn’t going to be anything special that we work on, every day we’re working on that particular skill.”
Aside from the routine opponent preparation, ASU will continue to focus on its own play.
“I’m not sure we are going to deal too much identifying some things on Arizona as we are as ‘let’s go be the best us,’ as cliché as that is,” Watson said. “That philosophy has served us well.”
Anchoring the ASU side of the court will be Johnson and senior outside hitter Sarah Reaves, who will be competing in their final Duel in the Desert match.
“It’s actually really weird,” Johnson said. “Having my last trip at U of A be a poor performance on our part makes us want to not only prove them wrong, but prove the Pac-10 wrong and everybody else. It’s my senior year. I want to go out big against U of A.”
Following Friday night’s Territorial Cup battle, ASU concludes its non-conference schedule with an away match against UC Riverside on Sunday.
ASU earned the 3-0 sweep over the Highlanders (2-22) earlier this season during the ASU Sheraton Invitational.
“It’s a strange trip for us in the middle of the Pac-10,” Watson said. “It’s an important match for us. I don’t think we can take it lightly. It’s another opportunity for us to get better.”
Reach the reporter at gregory.dillard@asu.edu
