The ASU volleyball team did not begin conference play the way it hoped for.
The Sun Devils started off their Pac-12 season with two losses over the weekend to 16th-ranked Oregon and Oregon State.
After losing to North Carolina and San Diego last weekend, this weekend’s play was a little bit of a different story. The Sun Devils fought hard, but still fell short.
The Sun Devils first suffered a heartbreaking five set match to the Beavers.
The first set started off close, with both teams trading points. After an ASU error OSU had control of the serve, and OSU sophomore libero Becky Defoe had three scoring serves to push the Beavers’ lead to 14-9.
ASU kept it close, but a kill by OSU junior outside hitter Camille Saxton won the game for the Beavers 25-19.
The Sun Devils bounced back in the second set.
ASU redshirt sophomore libero Caitlyn Murphy took control of the game in the opening serves of the set. Murphy had six total scoring serves, including one ace, causing the Sun Devils to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
ASU never lost the lead and won the set 25-21. ASU’s defense shined in the set, holding OSU to a .000 hitting percentage.
The score was tied 6-6 in the opening of the third set. Then ASU sophomore outside hitter Danica Mendivil and sophomore setter Sarah McGaffin teamed up on three kills to put the Sun Devils up 10-7.
OSU capitalized on some errors by ASU and tied up the score again at 17-17.
Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Kastl stepped up for the Sun Devils. Kastl was involved in ASU’s last five points, and the Sun Devils won the set 25-19.
The Sun Devils were one match away from winning the set. But OSU bounced back to win the fourth set 25-16.
It came down to the fifth set.
With three scoring serves by sophomore libero Stephanie Preach the Sun Devils were up 4-0 and the game looked promising for ASU. The game at one point was tied at 14.
Tensions were high as the next two points decided the match. With a block and kill by Saxton, OSU won the set 16-14 and took the match 3-2.
McGaffin had her best performances of the season totaling 50 assists in the match.
Ducks too much for Sun Devils
ASU then moved on to Oregon Sunday afternoon.
In the first set Oregon quickly ran away with the lead. UO junior outside hitter Lauren Gross smacked down a kill to put the Ducks up 12-3. UO won the first set 25-12.
After the tough first set the Sun Devils returned in the second set.
The lead swiveled back and forth, and neither team owned a large lead.
Mendivil closed the set with a kill that gave the Sun Devils the 25-22 win.
The third set was another close game. With some kills by redshirt junior outside hitter Alaina Bergsma and impressive serves by sophomore setter Lauren Plum, the Ducks went on a five-point run putting them up 20-15. The Sun Devils tried to fight back but the Ducks won the set 25-20.
With the game on the line the fourth game was the closest game of the match.
The score was tied 23-23 and victory came down to the last two points. Bergsma had the final kill in the set and the Ducks won 25-22, winning the match 3-1.
Before the weekend, coach Jason Watson said he needed his outside hitters to increase production. Kastl, however, was an exception. The sophomore had 19 kills against OSU and 11 against UO.
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