Volleyball Ousts Youngstown State in Illini Classic opener

Sep 12, 2013

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.- Arizona State volleyball (7-0) swept the Youngstown State Penguins (3-4), 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-21) Thursday night to snag its seventh-straight win. The Sun Devils are only one of two teams to start off the season with 21-straight set wins.

The Sun Devils highly notable 21-straight set wins is one for the Arizona State record books. The last time an ASU was able to start the season on such a streak was back in 1973 in the team’s opening season as a program at the university.

Arizona State volleyball has started the season 7-0 in four past seasons- 1993, 1995, and the last time being 1997.

Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week Macey Gardner along with BreElle Bailey led the way for the Sun Devils in the win with ten kills each. Bailey hit a team-high .389 hitting percentage- her third game exceeding .300. Mercedes Binns tallied six kills while Nora Tuioti-Mariner and Whitney Follette both gained four kills on the night.

Senior Stephanie Preach racked up 18 digs, bringing her career total to 1,571, putting her 26-digs shy of the second place spot on the ASU all-time career digs.

The team would combine for a .287 and only allowing the Penguins to hit a dismal .124 overall, and holding YSU to -.091 in the second match. The Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to a mere .084.

Missy Hundelt led the Penguins with 13 kills and eight digs. The Penguins would remain competitive throughout much of the match before ASU closed on the night on multiple scoring runs.

The Sun Devils return to action tomorrow, Friday Sept. 13 with a tough double header against No. 14 Illinois at 10 a.m. CT/8 PT followed by a match against defending National Champions No. 2 Texas at 5 p.m. CT/3 PT.