Freshman setter Allison Palmer looks off to the bench during the ASU Sheraton Invitational on Sept. 14. (Photo by Kyle Newman)The ASU volleyball team didn’t get the results it wanted this weekend, as it dropped both games this weekend in southern California.
The Sun Devils (13-6, 2-4 Pac-12) lost both of their games to No. 6 UCLA and No. 5 USC. The Sun Devils now sit tied for seventh place in the Pac-12.
Friday was a tough day for the Sun Devils as they fell in their first match of the weekend to UCLA (12-3, 4-2 Pac-12), the first time ASU has been swept this season.
Errors hurt ASU, as the team accumulated 19 attack errors in the final two sets, with 11 errors in the third set alone. The errors brought the Sun Devils hitting percentage in the third set down to -0.111, their lowest in Pac-12 play so far.
ASU was competitive in the first set, making only three errors, tying 10 times and exchanging the lead three times. As a team, the Sun Devils hit at a clip of .314 for the set. Senior outside hitter Erica Wilson tallied four kills, while freshman outside hitter Macey Gardner recorded three.
Sophomore setter Shannan McCready subbed in for freshman setter Allison Palmer early in the third set for the second straight game. Palmer had registered 22 assists in the game up to the substitution. McCready finished the game with five assists of her own.
On Sunday, the struggles continued for ASU against USC (15-2, 3-2 Pac-12), much like they did Friday night against the Bruins. The errors continued to rack up, as ASU committed six in the first set alone. Hitting at a .093, the Sun Devils dropped the first set 25-17.
In the second set, both teams combined for 16 errors — eight a piece — and both had hitting percentages under .200. Yet, the Sun Devils were able to capitalize on the Trojans errors to give the team a 25-23 victory heading into the break. Gardner and sophomore outside hitter Nora Tuioti-Mariner tied for team lead in kills heading into the break with seven each.
In the third set, Wilson brought the team out of a deficit, and gave ASU the lead after she connected on four straight kills for a 13-12 lead. The Sun Devils could not hold off the Trojans’ balanced-attack and dropped the set 25-20.
Even despite committing more costly errors against a strong USC offense, the Sun Devils nearly took the fourth set, but fell to the Trojans 25-23.
The Sun Devils travel again next weekend to visit Colorado and Utah.
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
