(Photo: Steve Rodriguez/ASU Athletics)
The No.17 Arizona State volleyball team looks to continue their stellar play as they end their four-game road trip with a tilt against the Utah Utes at Utah’s Crimson Court on Sunday. The match will be aired on the Pac-12 Networks.
The Sun Devils are riding high after back-to back impressive road victories over pretty formidable squads in USC and Colorado. ASU got off to a quick start and survived a fiery comeback from the Buffaloes to win a nail-biter in five sets. Junior outside hitter Macey Gardner led the charge for the winning lineup, posting 18 kills. The struggles to put away Colorado were the story line, however, as the team’s hitting percentage dropped from the mid .200’s to the high .100’s along the way. ASU will have to play a solid, complete game on Sunday if they want to emerge from Utah victorious.
The Utes started off their season with a bang, snagging wins in 10 of their first 11 games in their non-conference schedule but have since been stuck in a funk, losing their first three Pac-12 matches including getting swept at the hands of the No. 14 Arizona Wildcats. Utah will try to get back on track on Sunday.
What To Watch For
Both of these lineups are exceptional at out-blocking their opponents with the Utes tallying 11.5 blocks in their last game against Arizona’s 3.5. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Carly Trueman anchored the squad with six blocks of her own. The Sun Devils are not short on defensive stars either, as the duo of junior middle blocker Mercedes Binns and sophomore outside hitter BreElle Bailey are a dominant force at the net, racking up 48 and 45 total blocks respectively.
Another aspect of the game to watch is if Arizona State can actually compete to their full potential for the entirety of the match. Throughout the beginning portion of the season, the Sun Devils have had trouble getting started out the gate and recently in the Colorado game, have problems closing out matches. When ASU is on their game though, they are near impossible to slow down as Gardner is dominating it with 227 kills on the year.
Prediction
The team that controls the net will control the game as both squads are a force to be reckoned with on defense. The duo of Bailey and Binns are superior, however, and it will show in this intense battle. ASU will continue their winning streak and finally play a complete game on their way to a three-set sweep of the Utes.
