Senior libero Stephanie Preach dives for the ball in a game against Utah. The Sun Devils lost to Arizona and will not be eligible for a NCAA tournament bid. (Photo by Diana Lustig)
The ASU volleyball team (19-13, 8-12 Pac-12) had performed admirably with its back against the wall for several games.
But on Friday night’s final regular season game, the Sun Devils ran out of gas, falling in four sets at Arizona 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 21-25, and possibly ending their hopes of an NCAA tournament bid.
Coach Jason Watson said several times in the past few weeks that 20 wins might be the perfect number for the tournament, but it appears the Sun Devils will fall one win short.
Watson and his players could not be reached for comment after the loss.
The Wildcats slowed the Sun Devil hitters all evening long, holding them to just a .176 hitting percentage and blocking them nine times.
ASU recorded more kills than UA but also notched nearly twice as many hitting errors.
The Sun Devils trailed through much of the first set, dropping it 22-25 because of inefficient hitting. UA junior outside hitters Madi Kingdon and Jane Croson combined for nine kills and zero errors in the first frame.
Behind improved set selection from setter Bianca Arellano, the Sun Devils cruised through set two, taking it 25-16.
Both teams finally played their best volleyball at the same time in the third set. The rivals were tied at 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, but the Sun Devils fell when senior libero Stephanie Preach recorded a service error on set point.
The fourth set was all about streaks: UA put together a 4-0 run early, but ASU responded with three 4-0 runs of its own, the second with Preach at the line. But UA followed with a 6-0 run and went on to take the set.
ASU’s three leading hitters combined for 54 of the Sun Devils’ 64 kills.
The Sun Devils will wait anxiously until Sunday night to find out if their season will continue in the NCAA tourney.
Additional Notes
-Seniors Bethany Jorgensen, Caitlyn Francis, Jenny Teslevich and Preach were celebrated, along with UA seniors, in pregame ceremonies. These Sun Devils may have played their last game in ASU uniforms.
-UA libero Candace Nicholson, also a senior, set her career-high in digs with 36 in her final regular season game as a Wildcat.
-UA’s best server, Croson, totaled three aces and put pressure on the Sun Devils throughout with a high jump serve.
-The two rivals split this year's Territorial Cup Series point, as ASU swept UA in the first matchup in Tempe.
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott.
