Devils in Detail
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ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils’ Skid Reaches Three

By Harley Yearout

Nov 28, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky against the Arizona Wildcats during the 88th annual territorial cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2014; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky against the Arizona Wildcats during the 88th annual territorial cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kicking off Pac-12 play, the Arizona State women’s volleyball team took on in-state rival Arizona in Tuscon on Wednesday.

Both teams competed hard against one another but the Wildcats outlasted the Sun Devils in four sets 25-22, 19-25, 25-23, 25-18.

UA has now won its last nine matches against ASU in the McKale Center and 9 out of their last 10 matches overall.

Senior outside hitter Cassidy Pickrell finished with 20 kills and Oluoma Okaro finshed with a career-high 10 blocks in a losing effort.

For the Wildcats,  outside hitter Kendra Dahlke finished with 22 kills for Arizona alongside 49 assists and 14 digs from senior setter Penina Snuka.

The Sun Devils have faced the motif of trying to dig themselves out of holes this season and the trend continued against Arizona.

In the opening set, the Wildcast opened up a seven point lead to go up 16-9. ASU rallied back to make it 21-19 but couldn’t close the gap and trailed after one.

Using the momentum from their rally, ASU was much more efficient in the second set, tying the match at one set apiece.

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With the score tied at 13, ASU pulled ahead and didn’t look back and they had set point at 24-16. A late rally by UA made the score closer than it seemed but Pickrell put it away with a kill.

Unable to build off the previous set, ASU couldn’t manage another set victory, losing the third set 25-23, the smallest margin of victory of the night. The Sun Devils were down early but tied the match at 14.  With a chance to tie at 24, Dahlkeended the frame with a kill, giving the home side a 2-1 advantage.

Out of gas from a competitive and draining set, ASU looked ehausted in the final set as the Wildcats ran away with the set and the match.

The loss drops ASU to 1-4 on the ro

ad in 2016 and leaves the team with many questions to be answered as conference play continues.

Next: ASU Volleyball: Road Warriors play for Territorial Cup Point

The team will have a chance to search for answers when they take on Utah on Saturday at 6 p.m.