ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils Swept by Trojans

The Arizona State women’s volleyball team started their match off strong but faded down the stretch, falling to No. 25 USC in three sets.

The first set was well played on both sides of the net as the Sun Devils brought great energy to the court in front of a nice Friday crowd at Wells Fargo Arena. Senior outside hitter Maya McClendon had a great match for ASU as she produced eight kills while only allowing two service errors.

“It’s never good to lose, I was very fired up by the way we came out in the first set and battled point-for-point. I’m a big fan of the way Maya and Oli (Oluoma Okaro) are playing these days. We just have to be a lot better about hitting the ball in,” said head coach Stevie Mussie.

Local product and standout freshman Khalia Lanier came out of the gates slow for the Trojans, but was able to re-group and tied for the game high in kills with 11.

In a surprising move, coach Mussie didn’t use Cassidy Pickrell until the third set. Mussie explained that the move was derived from their practice week competitions where Carmen Unzue won the opportunity to get the spot in the rotation. Mussie also noted that the team struggles to score at times and so it’s important to have viable bench options to get points.

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A Sun Devil that was acknowledged after the game was freshman setter Nicole Peterson. Peterson received praise from Mussie about her tireless effort even though she’s battled sickness and injuries early in the season. Peterson was given most of the time setting up the offense in this matchup, and that appears to be her future.

“It’s my job to make sure we stay together as a team and to make sure we get the hitters balls they can kill, it’s a role I’ve grown into over the years and it’s nice to know my coaches believe in me to run it (the offense),” said Peterson.

ASU now turns their attention to a matchup with UCLA on Saturday night. The Sun Devils struggled against the No. 9 Bruins in their matchup in Los Angeles and will have their hands full containing junior outside hitter Reily Buechler who has had a monster season and played well in their first matchup.