The ASU volleyball team likely breathed a collective sigh of relief after Friday’s victory over No. 23 Oregon, as the win ended the team’s seven-game losing streak.
It also ended a horrendous October, in which the Sun Devils were just 1-7, with the only victory coming from a home sweep over the Oregon State Beavers.
And it was that same Beaver team which the Sun Devils defeated Saturday evening to earn the road sweep, completing the four-game road stretch with a 2-2 record.
Both victories were with ASU’s backup setter, junior Shannan McCready, running the offense in the wake of the Bianca Arellano injury.
Had you not watched the team in previous weekends, you might not have known McCready was the backup. Saturday, four different Sun Devils posted 10 or more kills for the first time in 2013.
McCready meshed with the hitters from first serve and also facilitated the best offensive weekend for ASU middle blockers in Pac-12 play.
Sophomore middle blocker Mercedes Binns set career-highs in kills on both nights. The other middle blocker, sophomore Whitney Follette, recorded 13 and 14 kills against Oregon and Oregon State, respectively. It was her best performances since she put up 19 at Washington State.
For the outside hitters, coach Jason Watson put freshman BreElle Bailey on the left side with sophomore Macey Gardner. Bailey shined on Friday, setting a career-high 18 kills but couldn’t replicate the success on Saturday.
Watson said he liked how Bailey performed on the left.
“She made some really important swings for us, and so we like her out there,” Watson said. “And I think she’s in a position where the outcome of the match is in her hands, and she doesn’t mind that at all.”
Freshman outside hitter Kizzy Willey and junior outside hitter Nora Tuioti-Mariner split time opposite the left sides. While Willey has proven to be more offensive, Tuioti-Mariner is a much better blocker.
In both matches, Watson substituted Tuioti-Mariner for Willey later in the match to try to slow down some of the opposing hitters.
As a whole, ASU failed to slow down the Oregon hitters on Friday night, allowing the Ducks to hit .319, the highest hitting percentage by an ASU opponent all season. Yet, the Sun Devils rebounded Saturday, limiting the Beavers to a .150 hitting percentage.
ASU still leads the Pac-12 with a .158 opponent hitting percentage. The next closest team is Arizona at .168.
Additional weekend notes
– McCready recorded 56 assists Friday at Oregon, the most by a Sun Devil in 2013. Arellano had set the previous high with 55 on Oct. 24 at Utah.
– Watson said there is still no timetable for the return of Arellano. She traveled with the team on the road trip and rehabbed with the team trainer.
“We don’t want Bianca to come back when she’s not feeling like she can contribute and be great,” Watson said. “When that is, we just don’t know yet. We don’t want to push this thing.”
– The Sun Devils do not have the luxury of waiting for a Friday match to decide Arellano’s status, as they host Washington State Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott
