Sun Devils To Make Trek To Utah And Colorado

TEMPE, Ariz.—The Arizona State volleyball team (13-7, 2-6 Pac-12) looks to snap its five-game losing skid, as it hosts travels to Utah and Colorado this week. The Sun Devils will take on the Utes on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. before taking on the Buffaloes on Sunday at 3 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.

The Sun Devils are seeking their first win since sweeping Oregon State on Oct. 4, and their first road win since the 2012 season.

About the Utah Series
The Utes (15-5, 4-4 Pac-12) earned a split last weekend as they faced the Oregon schools on the road. At Oregon State, the Utes and Beavers split the first two sets before Utah picked up the third and fourth for the 3-1 win. Chelsey Schofield led the way with 11 kills while Erin Redd-Brandon added 10 more. At Oregon, Schofield once again led the way in kills, this time with 12, but Utah was unable to pick up a set in the 3-0 loss.

About the Colorado Series
Back home after a two-week road swing, the Buffaloes (12-6, 4-4 Pac-12) fell to Oregon before sweeping Oregon State last weekend. Against the Ducks, Kelsey English tallied nine kills and a .600 attack percentage, but the Buffaloes were outmatched by Oregon in the 3-0 loss. Colorado rebounded at Oregon State, with English, Alexis Austin, and Kerra Schroeder combining for 35 of the team’s 49 overall kills in the 3-0 victory.

Last Time Out
Over the weekend, the Sun Devils dropped a pair of home matches to then-No. 1 USC and UCLA. In the straight-set loss to the Trojans, BreElle Bailey led the way with 10 kills. Hosting the Bruins, Nora Tuioti-Mariner had an impressive showing with nine kills, one off her season high of 10.

Heating Up The Polls
Arizona State fell out of the polls this week, picking up 50 votes. Previously, the team had been ranked every week since Sept. 16.

ASU’s move to No. 15 in the Sept 30, 2013 poll constitutes the highest ranking since 1995 where the Sun Devils, led by Patti Snyder-Park, made it into the Sweet 16.

ASU’s debut at No. 18 in the polls was the first top-25 ranking since Nov. 4, 2002.

Stifling Sun Devils
ASU leads the league in opponent hitting percentage with a low of .141.

In Oct. 4 contest with Oregon State, the Sun Devils held the Beavers to a scant eight points in the second set, which marks the lowest ASU has held a squad in a set this season.

Racking Up The Kills
Macey Gardner has racked up 266 kills so far this season, and is currently second in the league in kills per set with a clip of 4.51. Gardner also sits in third in the conference in points per set with an average of 5.09. Additionally, both marks rank Gardner nationally: eighth in kills per set and 16th in points per set.

Double-Double Outings
Setter Bianca Arellano has posted eight double-doubles this season, two off tying conference leader Penina Snuka of Arizona. Arellano posted a season high 54 assists on Oct. 11 at Washington State.

2013 Sweep Count
On the season, the Sun Devils have swept their opponent en route to each of their 13 wins. Notably, the then-unranked squad defeated then-No. 2 Texas in straight sets at the Illini Classic on Sept. 13.

Attacking The Warhawks
Arizona State’s blistering attack percentage of .374 in the win over Louisiana Monroe during the ASU Marriott Invitational (Sept. 20) ranks as the fifth-highest performance at ASU in the rally-scoring era (2001).

ASU Opens with Program-Best Start Since 1997
The Sun Devils began the 2013 season with a 7-0 start, the program’s best since Patti Snyder-Park’s 1997 squad posted the same record.

Starting with A Sweep
The Sun Devils recorded a sweep in each of its first seven wins this season, marking the longest stretch of wins without relinquishing to start a season during the rally-scoring era, which was instituted in NCAA Volleyball in 2001.

Arellano Named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week
Bianca Arellano was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week following her performances in the Illini Classic. The sophomore recorded 13-digs, 32-assists for her fourth double-double performance in the 3-0 sweep of then No. 2 Texas Longhorns. Arellano also added a season-high six kills in the match win.

Arellano, a Phoenix-native newcomer to the Sun Devils, also posted 40 assists and 20 digs in the five-set setback to host team No. 14 Illinois, after leading ASU to a win by totaling 29 assists. Arellano average 4.90 digs and 9.18 assists per set, as ASU went 3-1 in the Illini Classic.

Gardner Named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week
Sophomore outside hitter Macey Gardner was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday, Sept. 9. Gardner, a native of Gilbert, Ariz., was named the Most Valuable Player of the Gonzaga Invitational where she averaged 5.94 kills and 7.06 points per game, while hitting .367 over three matches. Gardner had three-consecutive 20-kill outings, including 22 in a 3-0 win over UNLV. She hit .452 in that match, committing just three errors.

Ranked Teams vs. Watson
Head coach Jason Watson has grabbed nine wins over ranked teams in his tenure at Arizona State. Most recently, the Sun Devils topped defending national champion and then-No. 2 Texas, 3-0, at the Illini Classic on Sept. 13. This marks the second time in Watson’s tenure that ASU has defeated the No. 2 team in the country, as the Sun Devils defeated Cal, 3-2, during the 2011 season.

Top-25 Wins Under Watson

Oct. 25, 2008 at No. 24 Oregon State.........W 3-0

Sept. 25, 2009 No. 14 UCLA* ...................W 3-0

Oct. 15, 2010 No. 5 USC* .........................W 3-1

Oct. 16, 2010 No. 10 UCLA* .....................W 3-1

Nov. 24, 2011 at No. 2 California* .............W 3-2

Nov. 2, 2012 No. 6 USC*............................W 3-0

Nov. 21, 2012 at No. 5 Washington*...........W 3-1

Aug. 31, 2013 No. 24 Wichita State ……..W 3-0

Sept. 13, 2013 No. 2 Texas ……………….W 3-0

Tournament Recaps:
The Sun Devils closed out the non-conference slate at home, hosting the Marriott Invitational, Sept 20-21. Arizona State picked up straight-set wins over Cal Poly, Alabama State and Louisiana-Monroe, and Bianca Arellano was named tournament MVP. Stephanie Preach and BreElle Bailey were named to the All-Tournament Team.

ASU earned its first marquee win of the year to close out the Ilini Classic, defeating the defending national champion and then No. 2 ranked Texas in straight sets.

In the second tournament, the Sun Devils trekked to Spokane, Wash., for the Gonzaga Invitational, Sept. 6-7. ASU defeated Seattle and UNLV in straight sets before executing the sweep of host-Gonzaga. Macey Gardner was voted tournament MVP for the second time this season while Bianca Arellano was voted to the All-Tournament Team.

ASU opened its 2013 season with a tournament win over the Utah Valley La Quinta Inn & Suites Invitational, defeating Utah Valley and North Dakota State before upsetting then No. 24 Wichita State, Aug. 30-31.

Macey Gardner was named Tournament MVP, while Stephanie Preach and BreElle Bailey were named to the All-Tournament Team.