Devils in Detail
Fansided

ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils Struggle Against No. 12 Stanford

By Alec Henden

Oct 15, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky poses for a photo during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Boulder, CO, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky poses for a photo during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

To say the Arizona State women’s volleyball team has suffered through a long season would be an understatement, at least No. 12 Stanford ensured that it would be a quick night.

The Sun Devils lost to the Cardinals in three sets Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena; the Sun Devils remain winless at home, and have dropped 15 of their last 17 matches. On the bright side, there are only three games left in the season and they’re all at home including a matchup against California, a team they have already defeated.

For coach Stevie Mussie, losing is never fun, but there are positives to be taken. Mussie pointed out the play of senior Maya McClendon and sophomore Carmen Unzue as important things for the program.

“I’m a huge fan of how we played, I like that we forced people to make errors and that we came out hot. We need to find a way to eliminate their runs as we go,” said Mussie.

Another important played for the Sun Devils in the present and future is freshman outside hitter Ivana Jeremic. Jeremic tied for McClendon for a team high nine kills in the match, and was given a lot of time in the rotation especially at the beginning of the match. Jeremic noted her improvement throughout this season.

More from Devils in Detail

“I’ve started to gain more confidence after two or three kills (in a match) I start to believe in myself. I’m still trying to stay the same, and keep my rhythm the whole game and that is a goal for me,” said Jeremic.

Coach Mussie has noted the improvement of her freshman outside hitter as well.

“I think Iva’s (Jeremic) management of the game has come so far. She obviously has all the talent in the world, but she’s able to control her emotions and understand that one play doesn’t break the world. I’m a fan of her progression throughout the season,” said Mussie.

ASU now turns its attention to a matchup with the California Golden Bears on Saturday night. The Sun Devils were able to defeat Cal in their first matchup in Berkley, and would love to finally get their first home win. The game starts at 7 p.m. Arizona time and can be seen through the Arizona State live stream.