ASU Volleyball: offensive struggles continue in loss

In the finale of the Boise State Classic, the Arizona State women’s volleyball team finished its last road tournament of the non-conference schedule with a loss to the host Boise State Broncos.

The Sun Devils lost the match in four sets to the Broncos, falling behind early after dropping the first two sets of the match. The final scores were 18-25, 17-25, 26-24, 22-25.

ASU was outmatched by Boise State in many major categories, most notably attacking percentage. The team greatly struggled to convert kills and limit errors as they recorded a .196 attacking percentage for the match.

The beginning of a new era under Head Coach Stevie Mussie leaves ASU with a respectable 7-5 record with Pac-12 play starting Wednesday when the Sun Devils travel to Tucson to face rival school Arizona.

Next: ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils take a step back

Boise State junior outside hitter Sierra Nobley led her team in kills with 16 for the Broncos and was a major impact player on the court throughout the match. Additionally, sophomore outside hitter Sabryn Roberts recorded another 14 kills helping pace the Bronco attack.

For ASU, senior outside hitter Cassidy Pickrell did all she could for the Sun Devils as she recorded a game-high 17 kills, but the team’s inefficiency on offense was a key reason for the loss.

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The outcome is tough for a team that seemed to have turned a corner with a five-set over a ranked Santa Clara team. However, the team’s struggles reappeared against Portland State in a four-set defeat.

For a young team and a first-year head coach there were a lot of positives to be taken from non-conference play. The Sun Devils played well against competitive teams, some with potentially more experience than ASU currently possesses.

All things considered, the Sun Devils have improved under Mussie and will have the opportunity to display their growth against Arizona on Wednesday.