Junior libero Stephanie Preach (6) celebrates with freshman outside hitter Macey Gardner (12) after a play during the ASU Sheraton Invitational on Sept. 15. (Photo by Kyle Newman)After a tough weekend in California, the ASU volleyball team hits the road again for another slate of Pac-12 games.
The Sun Devils travel to Colorado and Utah to face the Buffaloes and the Utes. The games will be key to the Sun Devils, as they continue to fight their way through the difficult conference schedule and back up the standings.
“We know that we have a job to do this weekend,” freshman setter Allison Palmer said. “We know we can do it, we just have to go out there and play our best game.”
ASU is still searching for its first conference win on the road this season. In the three road games the team has played so far, it has gone 0-3 with loses to UA, No. 7 UCLA, and No. 6 USC. The Sun Devils are also riding on a 3-game losing streak, their longest of the year.
“Just this past weekend we learned a lot,” freshman outside hitter Macey Gardner said. “We’re one and two points away from getting those fifth and sixth-ranked teams, and I think that’s just a real eye opener.”
ASU first faces a Colorado (12-6, 2-4 Pac-12) team that hasn’t found too much success this season. The Buffaloes have had trouble with Pac-12 opponents this year, with their two wins coming against Utah and Washington State — both teams that are in the bottom of the conference.
Not much has gone right for Colorado this season, sitting in the bottom-half of every team category in the Pac-12. As a team, the Buffaloes sit at No. 8 in the conference in blocks per set. Junior middle blocker Nikki Lindow ranks fifth individually in the category with 1.44 blocks per set.
The Sun Devils finish off their road trip on Saturday with a final game against the Utah Utes (10-9, 1-5 Pac-12). In their second year in the Pac-12, the Utes are having a hard time keeping up with the Pac-12 competition. Their lone win has come against the only team below them in the standings, Washington State.
Even though they rank No. 11 in the conference, the Utes have excelled at blocking at season long. Sophomore middle blocker Bailey Bateman has been the Utes’ shining star. She is No. 10 in the country in blocks per set with 1.53. The team as a whole has also thrived at blocking, as the Utes are No. 4 in the country in that category (3.15 blocks).
The key for ASU this weekend will be for the players to continue thriving in their respective roles. Gardner and senior Erica Wilson continue to perform at high levels, as they each rank in the top three in kills per set in the conference with 4.86 and 4.28, respectively. Palmer, who ranks 10th in the country in assists per set (11.73), has also been key for the Sun Devils.
Defensively, junior libero Stephanie Preach has been playing strong for the Devils, averaging 4.67 digs per set, good for second in the Pac-12.
Another important aspect for the team to focus on this weekend will be what coach Jason Watson describes as the “ugly” part of the game.
“We want to be a little bit better when the game gets ugly,” Watson said. “That’s when we’re in transition, trying to score points, and we have to dig something and then go turn it ... so we want to be better ‘ugly.’”
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
