Senior Stephanie Preach dives for the ball at the game in Tempe against USC. While the Sun Devils' losing streak is over, the team looks ahead to many challenges for the remainder of the season. (Photo by Arianna Grainey)
Things are finally looking up for the ASU volleyball team.
Behind backup junior setter Shannan McCready, the Sun Devils (16-10, 5-9 Pac-12) have turned around a seven-game losing streak with three wins in four games in the second half of conference play.
The success continued this past weekend when ASU swept Washington State and competed, at least for the first two sets, in a four-set loss to No. 3 Washington.
Coach Jason Watson, while still disappointed with the outcome of Saturday’s loss to Washington, put it in perspective, and said Washington will win the Pac-12: The Huskies are just that dominant.
Although it wasn’t necessarily needed for Wednesday’s sweep of Washington State, McCready failed to involve ASU’s outside hitters in Saturday’s match versus Washington.
Sophomores Mercedes Binns and Whitney Follette combined for just 26 kills in the two matches, despite totaling 46 the weekend prior at Oregon and Oregon State.
A positive from the loss to Washington was ASU’s ability to dig volleyballs. The Sun Devils recorded 88 digs Saturday, a season-high for four-set matches.
Freshman outside hitter Kizzy Willey continued to improve from the right side this weekend. The Highland, Utah native, who failed to record more than five kills or hit over .100 in either match against Oregon and Oregon State, did both against the Washington schools.
“I thought offensively she had her moments, and I thought defensively she had some blocks at some key times,” Watson said after Wednesday’s match. “She can score points on the right, (and) she can score points on the left, so it’s a good deal.”
Another positive from the weekend was outside hitter Macey Gardner’s continued improvement in the passing game. Teams used to be able to serve to Gardner consistently as a way to rack up service aces, but that has changed in the past few weeks.
“The mean has gotten a lot better here,” Watson said. “I thought she was digging some balls. I thought she passed well.”
The second half of the Pac-12 slate continues Thursday when the Sun Devils host the Colorado Buffaloes at 7:00 p.m. The Utah Utes come to Tempe for a noon match on Sunday.
Additional Weekend Notes
- NCAA Tournament Outlook — Watson outlined a simple plan for making the national tournament: win four of the team’s last six matches. It’s a simple formula, but one that still might not be enough. Four wins would mean the Sun Devils would finish 20-12 and 9-11 in Pac-12 play.
“We’re in control of our destiny but certainly we’re on the bubble,” Watson said. “Eight (Pac-12 wins) gets us close, but I think nine is the magic number.”
- Arellano Injury Update — Sophomore setter Bianca Arellano did not play in either match, despite warming up with the team. Watson said she probably can’t “respond to the randomness of the game” quite yet.
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott
