The ASU volleyball team has returned to Tempe, but that doesn’t mean picking up wins will be any easier.
Coach Jason Watson and the Sun Devils begin a season-long four-game home stand Wednesday against WSU. They also play Saturday against UW.
And for the second straight pair of matches, the Sun Devils' starting setter, sophomore Bianca Arellano, is injured. She will be a game-time decision.
Arellano, who started practicing again on Monday, was limited in practice Tuesday but took blocking and setting reps and said that her ankle has healed “immensely.” If the game were Tuesday night, Arellano said she would not be mentally ready to play.
“Physically, I’m pretty comfortable, but mentally, I don’t want to go in the game like 50 percent,” Arellano said. “I don’t want to be hesitant or tentative, because that’s when you start injuring other things.”
Watson said he and the coaching staff would evaluate the situation before Wednesday evening’s match.
If Arellano isn’t ready to play, junior setter Shannan McCready would start in her place. McCready led the team to a pair of victories against Oregon and Oregon State last weekend.
Freshman outside hitter BreElle Bailey, who has been hitting on the left side, said the previous matches against the Washington schools were a turning point.
“After the matches (against the Washington schools), we just felt really disappointed in ourselves, and that’s when kind of realized that something needed to change,” Bailey said.
First up is a Wednesday night tilt against the Washington State Cougars (16-9, 3-9 Pac-12), who went undefeated in nonconference play but have struggled in the Pac-12.
Sophomore middle blocker Whitney Follette shined in the last game against the Cougars, racking up a season-high 19 kills.
Washington State, which is second to last in both assists and kills in the Pac-12, snapped a six-game losing streak Saturday by sweeping Utah.
However, ASU's main focus will be on Saturday’s match against conference-leader and No. 3 Washington (19-1, 11-1 Pac-12).
The Huskies swept the Sun Devils straight out of Seattle in the first matchup by executing the game plan of serving to sophomore outside hitter Macey Gardner.
Behind five of the conference’s most talented servers, the Huskies are first in aces and look to extend their nine-game winning streak in the desert.
During that streak, Washington has earned victories over USC and Stanford, the two other conference powerhouses.
Wednesday’s match begins at 8:30 p.m., and Saturday’s match starts at noon. Both games are at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.
Additional Weekend Notes:
- Steve Patterson leaves ASU: Watson said former ASU athletic director Steve Patterson will be missed by the volleyball program.
“It’s the nature of athletics that people move,” Watson said. “From our perspective, volleyball is in a much healthier place because (Patterson) was here.”
Watson said Patterson was influential in starting up the sand volleyball team and increasing attendance, which are both big draws for recruits.
- Bailey on the left side: Bailey said she has loved hitting on the left side for a change. In addition to being set more, she said she feels like she can contribute more on the left. Bailey said blocking on the left has been a focus in practice, because she struggled with that in last weekend’s matches.
- Celebrating seniors: Saturday’s match against Washington will be the ASU volleyball team’s Senior Day. Bethany Jorgensen, Caitlyn Francis, Jenny Teslevich and Stephanie Preach will all be honored in a pregame ceremony.
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott.
