Senior middle blocker Erica Wilson rises to spike a ball during a match last season. The Sun Devils have won their last six games, their best start since 1997. (Photo by Sam Rosenbaum)The ASU women’s volleyball team continued its winning ways, sweeping the competition this past weekend in California.
After getting off to a 3-0 start to the season last weekend, the Sun Devils (6-0) notched three more victories in the UCI/LMU Dual Classic. ASU defeated UC Irvine, Colgate and Loyal Marymount en route to the program’s best start since 1997.
ASU defeats UCI 3-2
The team began play Friday morning against co-host UCI (2-5). The two teams remained tied after two sets, then ASU opened up a huge lead in the third set, which led to a 25-13 win. The Anteaters came back strong in the 4th set, taking it 25-18. Freshman outside hitter Whitney Follette and sophomore outside hitter Nora Tuioti-Mariner delivered back-to-back kills in the fifth set to close the game for the Sun Devils and notch the first win of the weekend.
ASU sweeps Colgate 3-0
The Sun Devils took the court again on Friday night, this time against Colgate (0-7). ASU started one of its quickest matches of the season by starting off the first set with a 25-18 win. Both teams fought hard in the second set with the Raiders going on a 7-2 run to allow the deficit to be cut to one, but the Sun Devils closed out the set winning by the same score of 25-18. The final set ended up being ASU’s most dominating set of the season as they crushed the Raiders 25-9 and extended the winning streak to five games.
Freshman middle blocker Mercedes Binns made her first career start for the Sun Devils and had a solid performance, finishing with three block assists and seven kills.
“I’m happy she got some time, and I’m happy to see her contribute like we always felt she would,” coach Jason Watson said.
Binns’s start now means that all four freshmen from ASU’s 21st-ranked recruitment class have started for the Sun Devils this year.
Sun Devils down LMU 3-1
The final game of the tournament came against co-host LMU (4-2) in Los Angeles. Much like ASU’s last game the previous weekend, this game remained a constant battle between the two teams. After 12 ties in the first set, the Lions held off the Sun Devils 27-25 to win and take a 1-0 lead.
In the second set, ASU rallied from behind to take their first lead of the set at 23-22. After an LMU timeout, the Lions tied the set at 23-23 but couldn’t hold off ASU, as the Sun Devils took the second set, 25-23. The experience from the previous set was crucial as the Sun Devils found themselves down again.
But another rally, lead by freshman outside hitter Macey Gardner, helped ASU come back again to win 25-21. The team closed out LMU in the fourth set by a score of 25-18 to win the series 3-1 and extended the winning streak to six games.
“We just keep getting better and better and better, and I like it,” Watson said. “We saw significant character, the fight when we’re down on the road, and I think these are all good traits.”
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
