Senior outside hitter Erica Wilson (front) watches the ball during a drill in practice Wednesday. The Sun Devils look to extend their winning streak to seven as they play in the Jayhawk Invitational this weekend. (Photo by Kyle Newman)With a chance to match the program’s best start in school history, the ASU volleyball team travels to Kansas this weekend to put its record on the line in its third straight road tournament.
“It feels good to be 6-0 but we have to just keep moving forward and we’re excited about those wins, but we’ve got to move on and prepare,” senior outside hitter Erica Wilson said.
In their final road tournament of the year, the Sun Devils are participating in the Jayhawk Invitational hosted by Kansas. In addition to playing Kansas, the team also faces the College of Charleston and Wyoming. The tournament should be ASU’s toughest yet, as the competition has a combined record of 17-3 this season.
“To be able to go to Kansas and play good-level teams is very exciting,” freshman outside hitter Macey Gardner said.
The first game of the tournament is a Friday morning contest against Wyoming (8-0). The Cowgirls have dominated their competition in every game this season — not only are they undefeated, but they have a set record of 24-2 as well. This will be the 10th match-up between the two schools, with ASU leading the overall record at 9-2.
The Sun Devils then takes on Kansas (6-1) later that night to cap off the doubleheader. The Jayhawks are entering the tournament as victors of the Kansas Volleyball Invitational, another tournament they host. They swept the University of Missouri-Kansas City in three sets to win the tournament on Tuesday evening. Friday night’s game will be the first time these two programs have ever faced each other.
The third game of the tournament is slated for Saturday afternoon, as the Sun Devils faces the College of Charleston (3-2) before returning home. The Jayhawk Invitational is the first road test for the Cougars, who have participated in back-to-back tournaments on their home floor. They recently won the Courtyard Charleston North Classic by defeating Memphis 3-1 last Saturday. Just like against Kansas, this will also be the first time that ASU has ever faced this program.
“I think that it’s a challenge, I’m worried,” coach Jason Watson said. “The cumulative effect of three weekends on the road, plus three really nice teams out there that have experienced a lot of success so far.”
Even with three successful teams playing opposite the Sun Devils this weekend, Watson feels their chance at matching the record won’t be adding pressure on his team. He noted his team’s character and used its comeback against Loyola Marymount as evidence of being able to handle under pressure.
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
