Using junior setter Shannan McCready again, the ASU volleyball team dropped its match 26-24, 22-25, 15-25, 17-25, to No. 3 Washington (20-1, 12-1 Pac-12) Saturday afternoon despite putting together a solid first two sets.
If ASU (16-10, 5-9 Pac-12) had played like they did during the seven-game losing streak, then maybe Saturday’s loss would be different. But the Sun Devils played well considering the caliber of their opponent.
ASU coach Jason Watson said that Washington will win the Pac-12. Given that, this loss doesn’t mean the sky is falling with regards to the team’s NCAA tournament hopes.
“We’re in control of our destiny but certainly we’re on the bubble,” Watson said. “The last 10 are going to be huge.”
The first set was a back-and-forth affair that featured 16 ties. Trailing 21-24, Washington averted three straight set points to tie up the set at 24. But the Sun Devils held their ground, winning the next two points and taking the set on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Macey Gardner.
If set one was back and forth, set two was all about streaks. With sophomore outside hitter Cassie Strickland at the service line, the Huskies put together a 6-0 run. But late in the set, ASU battled back with seven unanswered points. It wasn’t enough, and UW took the set 25-22.
After breaking sophomore outside hitter Cassie Strickland’s serve on the first point, things seemed to be looking up for the Sun Devils in set three. But the Huskies battled and put together a late 6-0 run that locked in a 25-15 set win. ASU hit just -.024 in set three.
Strickland totaled three service aces but forced the Sun Devils to play out of system late in the match. Senior libero Stehanie Preach said her serve was crucial to giving the Huskies momentum.
“That probably gave them a lot of momentum,” Preach said. “That’s a tough serve to handle.”
Set four mimicked set three in that UW continued to dominate, taking the set 25-17 and the match.
Watson said ASU simply couldn’t play well enough long enough.
“Clearly you play Washington and I think you’ve got to be on task for a really long period of time,” Watson said. “It probably is the difference between where we’re at and where they’re at.”
The Sun Devils played a scrappy game defensively, and Preach eclipsed her season-high with 28 digs. Regardless, Preach wasn’t pleased with the outcome.
“We just weren’t taking care of what we need to take care of,” Preach said. “We just kind of lost some energy that we had from the first two sets.”
McCready failed to distribute the offensive effectively, meaning the middle blockers weren’t consistently involved.
“I thought I could have mixed it up a lot more,” McCready said. “That’s what was working for us before and I wasn’t using the middles as much as I should have.”
The Sun Devils continue their quest for the postseason Thursday when they host the Colorado Buffaloes at 7:00 p.m.
Additional Game Notes
-Saturday’s match was ASU’s Senior Day, although ASU plays three more home games. Defensive specialists Caitlyn Franics and Jenny Teslevich, outside hitter Bethany Jorgensen and Preach were all honored in pregame ceremonies.
-Junior outside hitter Nora Tuioti-Mariner replaced freshman outside hitter BreElle Bailey in set three. Bailey recorded seven kills on eight attempts, hitting at a -.024 clip.
-Junior outside hitters Krista Vansant and Kaleigh Nelson totaled 33 kills, making up more than half of the Husky offense.
-Sophomore setter Bianca Arellano did not play in the match despite warming up with the team. “Can she walk? Yeah. Can she jump? Maybe not as well,” Watson said. “Can she respond to the randomness of the game? Maybe not yet.”
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott.
