Junior middle blocker Mercedes Binns and her teammates celebrate after the match-winning point against Idaho State on Friday, Sept. 5 (Photo by Sawyer Hardebeck).What may have been the toughest weekend of the young season for No. 15 ASU was wrapped up with a soundless 3-0 victory against Morehead State.
The first set was close the entire way through, with four lead changes and 11 tied scores. With the score tied at 20, senior middle blocker Mercedes Binns recorded two kills in three serves to push ASU to a 22-21 lead. Junior outside hitter Macey Gardner finished the set with a kill of her own to give ASU to a 25-21 victory.
The next two sets were much more in the Sun Devil’s favor. Led by junior outside hitter BreElle Bailey, ASU won set two 25-16 and set three 25-17.
Bailey finished with 13 kills and a .632 attack percentage. This ranks as the tenth-highest attacking percentage in ASU history (min. 12 kills), according to Sun Devil Athletics. She had only one attacking error and finished with six assisted blocks.
Binns, who was instrumental in the first set, finished with eight kills on 14 chances. She had a .429 hitting percentage and provided a block and a dig.
A day after recording 57 assists and 12 digs in a single match, junior setter Bianca Arellano completed 38 assists and eight digs in this three-set match. She finished the weekend with a whopping 115 assists and 27 digs.
Sophomore libero Mia Mazon received extended playing time this weekend after playing in only one set last weekend. In her 11 sets this weekend, she hit a combined 16 digs and had five serve returns.
Based on stats alone, it doesn’t look like Mazon will be in the starting lineup soon — starting libero Halle Harker finished Saturday’s match against Morehead St. with 12 digs and a pair of assists.
ASU finished the Comfort Inn and Suites Invitational with a 2-1 record and ran their record to 8-1 on the season. Next week, they’ll return home and face No. 14 Colorado State, Pepperdine, and North Carolina Central.
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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