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Isanovic Hits Career Mark, Team Wins Two

by thesundevils.com
Sep 2, 2022


ATLANTA - Senior outside hitter Iman Isanovic became the 18th Sun Devil to reach 1,000 career kills while helping her team to a win over 2021 NCAA Tournament team Dayton in a reverse sweep (21-25, 18-25, 25-16, 25-13, 15-12) and a 3-1 victory over Florida International (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 25-22), all to start the Georgia Tech Invitational on Friday.

Notable Stats

  • Arizona State (4-1) picked up a big win over Dayton (2-2), a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament last season. ASU followed it up with a victory over Florida International (0-4)
  • Senior outside hitter became the 18th Sun Devil in program history to earn 1,000 career kills all while being at ASU. Her third kill in the first set against Dayton got her to that number and her 33 total kills today put her in 17th. 
  • The win over Dayton was head coach Sanja Tomasevic's sixth reverse sweep and the second this season. In ASU program history, it was the 31st reverse sweep. The Sun Devils have never had more than three in a season. 
  • Another notable record earned against Dayton was the 15 aces the Sun Devils served up. That is the second-highest total in the rally-scoring era and the most since 2005. The aces leader was junior Ella Snyder with five, which is a career high and seventh in the ASU record book. The last time a Sun Devil had five aces was Isanovic in 2020.
  • Sophomore libero Jaden Ravnsborg has notched double-digit digs in all five matches so far this season. Her 16 against Dayton was a career high and she added 14 more against FIU.
  • All three Sun Devil setters saw action today with Snyder leading the way, tallying 50 assists on the day. Sophomore setter Allie Gray saw the court for the first time this season, playing in both matches and earning 16 total assists.

 

Quotes:
Arizona State Head Coach Sanja Tomasevic
"Two good wins for us to start five-straight weeks on the road. Our serving and blocking were really good in the later part of the Dayton match, which helped us come back and win that one. Super proud of them for that battle. I thought Geli and Iman did great in the second game against FIU. Overall, these were two good team wins. Now, it's time for us to rest and focus on Georgia Tech, who is a really good and well-coached team."

"I'm so proud of Iman for getting 1,000 career kills. She has grown and matured a lot in the last three years. I am so excited to see her continue to grow and expand her game, and hopefully we can help her become one of the best pins in the country."

Senior outside hitter Iman Isanovic
"It feels awesome to get 1,000 kills. I couldn't have it without anyone else, from the passes to the great sets that were coming my way. It's definitely a team effort. I knew I was close, but when we started the game I didn't think about it. It was so important for me to utilize everything we had to win the game. The team is the most important and getting these wins, especially in nonconference, is the most important. After that thriller, it was was very nice to see after that I had gotten it."
 

Game One: Arizona State 3, Dayton 2 
The Sun Devils recovered after going down 2-0 to the Flyers, executing the reverse sweep to begin the Georgia Tech Invitational. Isanovic shone, belting 19 kills, ultimately carving her name in Sun Devil record books, with 1,000 career kills. She also added 10 digs for a double-double. The serve was on fire in the match, the team earning 15, which is the second-most in program history. Juniors Snyder and Jeter led the way with five and four, respectively, both career highs.

Set One: Dayton 25, ASU 21
A slow start from the Sun Devils saw themselves at the unfavorable end of a 13-5 score line. Down 10 to Dayton's 20, the Sun Devils went on an 8-0 run, thanks to three service aces from Ella Snyder, to push back into contention. Within two of the Flyers, ASU conceded four-straight points. Isanovic's kill to put the set at 24-21 marked the tremendous 1,000 career kills milestone. Dayton would close the set out on an ASU attacking error, however.

Set Two: Dayton 25, ASU 19
The Sun Devils got their first lead of the morning on a block from Cyr and Jeter to make it 10-9. Dayton put the game on pause and returned to score three unanswered. ASU tied the game at 12 on the Flyers' service error, but Dayton stacked four on to make it 16-12. The close set continued with a solo block from Isanovic to stay within two. ASU's offense would subside at the tail end, as Dayton would score the last four points to get the 25-19 win. 

Set Three: ASU 25, Dayton 16
The first of five 3-0 scoring runs ASU achieved in the set provided them with the lead at 4-3. The Sun Devils held this lead the duration of the frame. A one, two, three sequence with Isanovic as the main attraction gave ASU a 9-6 lead, as the senior added back-to-back service aces and a kill. The Flyers did not stray far from getting level, until Isanovic's kill sparked four more points for her team, with a pair of kills from Levinska, a service ace from Jeter and a kill from Maddie McLaughlin. Levinska and Jeter fired on all cylinders in the third set, as Levinska notched four kills, a service ace, and block assist, and Jeter snatched a duo of service aces, a kill, and block assist, as well. The two juniors helped earn the Sun Devils their largest lead of eight, setting up Ravnsborg to cap it off with back-to-back service aces to start the comeback.

Set Four: ASU 25, Dayton 13
With the Sun Devils still pushing to keep the game alive, they managed to craft their most convincing statement yet. Holding Dayton to just 13 was supported by the five kills Levinska garnered in the set, two more service aces for Jeter, three kills for Isanovic, and Snyder's second back-to-back service ace segment. ASU was comfortable with a consistent cushion of four to five, until they broke away for a 12-point lead with a 7-0 run to get within two of the set. Kreiling added a kill after amassing three block assists in the set to take the game to its final stage.

Set Five: ASU 15, Dayton 12
Pushing the game to five sets, the Sun Devils buckled down to work through the persistence of the Flyers. Getting the first two on the board with a kill from Levinska and an ace from Cyr, Jeter's kill made it a 3-1 set. ASU remained in the driver's seat, but Dayton did not linger far behind. The Sun Devils scattered one, and two points at a time, but Dayton worked their way back to an even game. Tied at 11, Isanovic helped ASU pull away, responsible for all four final points. The pin hitter capped off the comeback with a service ace to pull off the reverse sweep.
 

Game Two: Arizona State 3, Florida International 1
The Sun Devils played their second match of the day, posting a 3-1 win over Florida International. Isanovic hit double-digit kills again with 14, tying sophomore Cyr for the most on the afternoon. For Cyr, it was a season best. The Sun Devils notched 10 blocks, with Jeter tallying seven of those. Snyder led the way in assists with 25 and Ravnsborg held down the defense with 14 digs.

Set One: ASU 25, FIU 20
A block assist from Rabelo and Kreiling provided the Sun Devils with a lead they owned for the rest of the set. Isanovic continued to impress, having four kills and a service ace in the frame. Levinska and Jeter each had three kills, with Jeter running on efficiency, killing half of the balls that came to her. One of Jeter's three kills, and the two block assists from both her and Isanovic forced FIU to call a timeout. Ravnsborg assisted Isanovic for a kill to push the set to 14-9, Sun Devils. FIU began to pick up the pace, finding themselves two away from tying, until two errors cost them, putting the Sun Devils ahead by a comfortable four-point lead. The wind was knocked out of their sails once Jeter's kill set up herself and Levinska to wrap up the opening set with a block assist.

Set Two: FIU 25, ASU 23
The second set was a tight one, neither team separating from the opponent by more than three, with FIU holding the lead at 8-5. ASU scored four to pull ahead. The midpoint reverted to back-and-forth play until Cyr buried a kill in the set, providing a four-point lead, at 21-17, the largest lead of the set. Close to taking the second set, the Panthers fought back to go on a four-point run of their own, making it 21 all. Cyr supplied the lead once more with her fourth kill; however, FIU scored four of the last five to make it even at one set apiece.

Set Three: ASU 25, FIU 17
The Sun Devils started to break away from the Panthers after Isanovic got a kill and Rabelo and Kreiling banded together for a duo block assist, causing FIU to call a timeout at 14-11, ASU. The Panthers tied it on the return, but the Sun Devils remained composed, adding a pair. The Sun Devils reached a breakthrough, getting nine of the last 11 points to propel themselves to an eight-point win in the third set. ASU preyed on two Panthers' mistakes, five kills with two from Cyr, and two blocks from Jeter, with Cyr and Levinska blocking one each with their middle blocker to supply a 2-1 lead, going into the fourth set.

Set Four: ASU 25, FIU 22
Five of ASU's first nine points came from errors on the Panthers' side. FIU went on a 4-0 run to give them the lead, only to be confronted with the Sun Devils' own 4-0 punch to put them up by one, at 16-15. A kill from Jeter gave ASU their 20th point, but FIU answered with three to give them a lead of 21-20. Cyr supplied the game-tying 21st point, kick starting another 4-0 run that put the Sun Devils within one of winning the set, winning the match, and concluding their afternoon. Appropriately, Cyr buried the final kill for the Sun Devils to do just that.
 

Up Next
Arizona State will conclude the Georgia Tech Invitational on Saturday by taking on the No. 5-ranked home team at 2 p.m. MST, live on the ACC Network Extra.

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