Three volleyball teams are struggling in the Pac-12, and all three are hungry to get a victory.
The ASU women’s volleyball team (4-13) travels to face Utah (7-11) and Colorado (5-12) this weekend. The Sun Devils are going up against new Pac-12 teams that are having similar seasons so far.
The Utes have only won two Pac-12 games against unranked opponents.
The Buffaloes haven’t won a set in Pac-12 play this season.
Sophomore libero Stephanie Preach is not looking past these struggling teams.
“Any team that we face in the Pac-12 we have treat as the best team,” Preach said. “Everyone’s good. It could be anyone’s day.”
Like ASU, CU and Utah also rely heavily on their young talent.
Utah’s top two leaders in kills this season are underclassmen. Sophomore Morgan Odale leads Utah in kills with 178 this year, while freshman outside hitter Chelsey Schofield ranks second with 166.
Odale has good chemistry with the Utes’ senior setter, who happens to be her older sister, McKenzie. The elder Odale leads the Utes with 430 assists this season.
A good portion of CU’s offense production comes from two underclassmen, sophomore middle blocker Nikki Lindow and freshman middle blocker Kelsey English.
Lindow ranks second in kills for the Buffaloes with 116 and English places third with 102.
This will be the first weekend since the Sun Devils’ opening matches that will not feature a match against a ranked opponent.
ASU has spent the last several weekends going up against the top ranked teams in the Pac-12.
ASU coach Jason Watson said that the team’s tough competition in the past has helped it improve.
“I hope we are better because of what we have been through the last couple of weeks,” Watson said. “I hope for the athletes that they get a return on it because they’re certainly working pretty hard.”
Like last weekend the Sun Devils had to adjust to USC’s slow style of play. The Sun Devils will have to combat Utah’s different style of offense.
Watson called the Utes’ offense a 6-2 style of play. Instead of having just one setter, Utah will have two on the court at all times. That allows Utah to have three hitters in the front of the net attacking. There is also another hitter stationed in the back row and will attack offensively from there.
Watson said the Sun Devils have to adjust like they did against USC.
“We have got to be on tendencies,” Watson said. “We got to play with the same defensive intensity that we did against USC.”
The Sun Devils feel they are more confident going into this weekend and Watson said they have been practicing well.
Freshman setter Shannan McCready said that the team has come together after a couple of tough losses.
“Coming off of (last) weekend we are feeling more of team vibe,” McCready said. “We are really hoping that will help us this weekend and we are ready to roll on them.”
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
