Junior middle blocker Whitney Follette (left) and freshman setter MadisonMcDaniel wait for the ball in an exhibition match against Mount Royal University
on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The Sun Devils would
go on to win the exhibition, 3-0. (Photo by Ben Moffat)
Although ASU salvaged the weekend with a comeback win against Northern Illinois University and a blowout over Morehead State, the weekend turned sour with news that junior middle blocker Whitney Follette had an abdominal injury and was to remain in Louisville to be hospitalized.
“Whit played all three matches and had some abdominal pain,” coach Jason Watson said. “Turns out, it was enough to keep her in Louisville.”
Follette has been a constant in the early stages of the Sun Devil’s rather successful start. She has hit at least five kills in every match, including a 12-kill performance against NIU and a seven-kill match against Louisville in which the rest of the team struggled.
Follette’s play has given junior setter Bianca Arellano a reliable person to pass the ball to after going primarily to junior outside hitter Macey Gardner in the past.
“(Follette) provides significant results for our team offensively, defensively and energy-wise,” Arellano said.
Still in Louisville, Follette was unavailable for comment.
“The logical thing right now is to put Mercedes into Whit’s spot,” Watson said.
Senior middle blocker Mercedes Binns will most likely move up into the M-1 spot on the court. This will give her more offensive opportunities.
“That’s something I’ve been working on, trying to connect with Mercedes,” Arellano said. “The M-2 position is kind of less offensive... Now that Mercedes is an M-1 we’re for sure going to be pushing a lot to her.”
Binns has seen a fair amount of improvement over the last year, and she said she’s been working hard in team practice.
She rattled off a list of workout habits on the court.
“A lot of setter-hitter relationship stuff, a bunch of transition, we do ball-setter-ball hitter,” she said. “Just a bunch of things to improve, eyes, hand-eye coordination.”
Every improvement Binns spoke of, she related to ball-setter/ball-hitter relationships. This will help both offensively and defensively.
As a result of the team and practice, Binns’ offensive stats have been up this season. She’s recorded at least seven kills in five of the nine matches this year, and more impressively, is one of the team leaders in hitting percentage. She has four matches with a .400 hitting percentage, and hit .500 in a pair of those.
Binns stands at 6-foot-3 and that added height is a benefit.
“She can reach higher than the block can,” Arellano said. “If you use her height, it definitely helps us.”
Binns has also been experimenting on the court. Arellano spoke about audible decisions middle blockers have to make mid-game, and said it’s paying dividends.
“I think she’s definitely gotten better at diversifying where she can go (on the court),” Arellano said.
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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