ASU Volleyball: No. 10 Washington knocks off Sun Devils

After winning the first set, Arizona State volleyball lost three straight to Washington, losing 3-1 (17-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-19) in Tempe on Sunday afternoon.

The Sun Devils (16-13, 8-10 Pac-12) started strong in the first set, as their offense took control over the 10th ranked Washington Huskies (22-5, 13-4 Pac-12). The momentum was carried into the second set, as the Devils held an lead 18-15 late in the set. However, the Huskies finished the set strong took it 25-22.

Washington rode its momentum and overpowered Arizona State in the third and fourth sets. Although both came down to the last couple points, the Huskies maintained a consistent lead.

“We need to learn how to play in those close sets,” head coach Sanja Tomasevioc said. “If we want to get where we want to go, we have to win them.”

The Huskies’ offense was too much for the Sun Devils, as Washington hit for a .311 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Kara Bajema finished with 22 kills on a .413 clip for Washington. Ella May Powell, the Huskies’ setter, finished with 52 assists.

Arizona State defenders only converted for six blocks. Freshman Kennedi Boyd led the team with four. Pin hitter Andrea Mitrovic also contributed with three kills on top of her solid offensive performance.

Despite the defensive struggles, Arizona State provided an outside offensive attack. Senior hitter Ivana Jeremic provided 10 stars kills with an efficient .400 hitting percentage. Andrea Mitrovic led the team in kills and attacks, as she finished with 15 kills on 43 attacks. The two outside hitters only combined for four errors between them.

Additionally, freshman Iman Isanovic got the call off the bench, but was unable to provide. The freshman managed only five kills on 21 attacks. Her five errors brought her hitting percentage down to .000.

The offensive attack struggled from the middle for the Devils. The middle blockers combined for 11 kills together, five from Megan Beedie and six from Boyd.

Among others, seniors Nicole Peterson and Callie Jones split time at setter again, with Peterson getting the majority of the reps. She finished with 24 assists compared to Jones’ 11 assists.

“We weren’t as efficient as we wanted to be today,” Tomasevic said of her offense. “If we want to beat these teams, we need to be on the same page.”

ASU will play its final home game on Wednesday against the USC Trojans at 5 pm. Arizona State looks to add to their tournament resume, as they clinched eligibility on Thursday night.