ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils open conference play with Territorial Cup battle
By Trevor Booth
After going 10-2 in non-conference play, ASU volleyball kicks off the heart of their 2017 season schedule with a home match against in-state rival Arizona.
It’s time to kick off the grind.
After riding a six-game winning streak to close their non-conference schedule, the ASU volleyball team will begin conference play in the first leg of the Territorial Cup against the University of Arizona on Thursday night.
Last year, the Wildcats and the Sun Devils split their season series, with each team winning the home match-up.
However, the 2017 chapter of this historic rivalry introduces a plethora of new storylines. ASU has a new leader at the helm in head coach Sanja Tomasevic, and Arizona brings forth a new team that lacks four starters from its Sweet 16 team last season.
Let’s take a look at a quick recap of how the Wildcats fared during non-conference play.
A New Rebuild
The Wildcats enter conference play with a 6-3 non-conference slate, which pits them at the bottom of the Pac-12 standings.
After a 20-win season last year, U of A hasn’t been able to create a long-standing source of momentum so far; the new-look Wildcats went 2-1 in all three of their non-conference tournaments, struggling in losses to the likes of Lipscomb and Radford.
However, that doesn’t take away from what the team is capable of this year.
Despite the four graduates, the Wildcats do return some strong pieces, including outside hitter Kendra Dahlke, who finished fourth in the conference last season with a 3.97 kill per set ratio.
Arizona also has great experience at the helm. Head coach Dave Rubio has coached the team for 26 years, and during his tenure he’s missed the NCAA Tournament a total of just seven times, and currently leads all active conference coaches with 479 victories in Pac-12 play.
Unlike the Sun Devils, the Wildcats have established their identity so far this season on the defensive side in the ball. They currently are last in the conference in hitting percentage (.241), and 11th in kills per set (13.29) but make up for it by holding the third-highest opponent hitting percentage (.156).
With plenty of newcomers for the Wildcats, it’ll be important for the Sun Devils to familiarize themselves with some of the new faces that their rivals bring in on Thursday night. Here are three impact players that have provided a strong boost for Arizona so far:
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Paige Whipple
As a freshman in the Pac-12 conference, it’s almost impossible to make an early name for yourself. However, outside hitter Paige Whipple has shown she’s willing to step up to the challenge.
Whipple has already recorded a 24-kill game this season against William & Mary, and currently leads the Wildcats in total kills (90) and is second on the team in kill per set ratio (2.73) At 6-foot-1, Whipple possesses both the height and the athleticism to cause problems with the block.
However, she has shown some issues with consistency. Aside from the 24-kill game, Whipple has hit under .200 five times this season with an average of nearly six errors in each of these matches.
In order to halt Whipple’s attack, the Sun Devils will have to shift their block to the outside and expect a set to her whenever she’s in the front row. This will be Whipple’s first go in conference play, so eliminating her threat early will give the Devils a possible mental edge off the bat.
Julia Patterson
Last season, Patterson backed up one of the all-time greats in Wildcat history at setter, Penina Snulka, who finished second in the school’s all time assist list (5,212) as well as digs (1,610).
This year, Patterson has seemingly taken that experience to heart, recording 357 assists so far with a 10.50 assist per set clip. She had a 49-assist match against William & Mary, as well as multiple matches with four kills, showing she likes to keep her opponents indecisive on defense.
Unlike the Sun Devils, the Wildcats haven’t thrown in multiple setters this year, relying heavily on Patterson to deliver the brunt of the offensive attack.
According to kill stats, Patterson seems to push a lot of sets towards Whipple and junior Outside Hitter Tyler Spriggs. In a match that could go multiple sets, it’ll be important for the Sun Devils to read the tendencies of Patterson and force her to make uncomfortable sets in the middle or back row.
Tyler Spriggs
Spriggs is one of the most experienced players on the Wildcats this year, and has provided more stability as a leader in her junior year.
Spriggs currently leads U of A with a team-best 3.17 kills per set, along with the highest hitting percentage at .272.
With an experienced hitter like Spriggs, the Sun Devils must know that she’s less likely to commit errors on the outside. She’ll most likely look to hit strategically, whether it be through the block, around, or off of it.
Although the Wildcats aren’t as strong this season, they do possess weapons that could cause trouble on any given night. The Sun Devils will have to follow these three keys in order to reach a victory.
Sustaining Control of the Ball
Throughout non-conference play, the Sun Devils have executed brilliantly on the defensive side of the ball, breaking runs quickly from the opposition. The Devils will need to continue to break runs, but can eliminate them entirely with solid serving and tight blocking.
Since the Wildcats are ranked third in the conference in opposing hitting percentage, it will be more difficult for the Sun Devils to set up scores in transition. When they do score, they must hold possession of the serve and keep Arizona from getting the ball back.
By forcing the Wildcats in tough serve receive positions, it’ll force them to make uncomfortable passes, which would lead to predictable sets to block for Peyton Grahovac and Griere Hughes.
If the Sun Devils keep up this pressure, they should be set up to go on multiple scoring runs.
Leaving Mistakes Behind
On Thursday night, several Sun Devil players will be making their first appearance in a conference match-up. In order to prepare for a long match, the Devils will have to shake off possible mistakes and be ready for every single point.
Although the team has 12 matches under their belt, conference play is a whole new season and challenge that the Sun Devils must be ready for.
“There’s that extra component with a big rivalry match,” coach Sanja Tomasevic noted today in practice. “The butterflies will be there, and that’s ok, we just need to channel it into focus rather let it spook you out.”
“I need to focus on the next play after I make a mistake,” freshman Griere Hughes noted. “I think that’ll help me continue to do what I’m doing.”
As the team shakes off their opening nerves during the first few points, it’ll be crucial to keep their minds at ease to settle into the flow of the new season.
Follow the Leaders
Settling the nerves will be a challenge, one that seniors Oluoma Okaro and Halle Harker must lead to end as quickly as possible.
In Harker, the Sun Devils possess one of the greatest defensive players in the country, as her 230 digs this season have been essential to setting up the conference’s best offense so far.
As for Okaro, she gives the Devils a dual-threat hitter from the outside and the back-row, forcing defenses to switch gears quickly whenever she loads up for a huge swing. Okaro leads the Devils in kills with 198, and has recorded double-digit kills in every match so far this season.
Aside from their statistical success, the two have been here before, and must pave the way for the younger players.
“As someone that’s been through this before, I would say to play like it’s in a glass house,” Harker said. “You love the support and you love the fans, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the core six that’re on the court.”
Next: ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils go 3-0 in Maverick Classic
The first serve from the Wells Fargo Arena between the Sun Devils and the Wildcats will be at 8 p.m. PST on Thursday night and can be seen on Pac-12 Network.