ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils seek first Pac-12 win vs. Colorado

After starting Pac-12 play with a winless record in their first six matches, ASU volleyball will look to pick up their first Pac-12 win against Colorado.

After beginning conference play with a winless record in their first six matches, ASU volleball will look to pick up their first conference win when Colorado comes to Tempe Friday night as ASU starts the second half of its four-match homestand.

The Buffaloes are coming into the match losing back-to-back matches and a 12-5 record. Prior to the losing streak, Colorado had beaten Oregon State and Oregon both at home.

Colorado is led by outside hitter Alexa Smith, who is first on the team in kills with 247 and second on the team in digs with 171. Not only does Smith lead the team in kills, she is one of the leading offensive players in the conference as she currently sits at fifth in kills in the Pac-12.

While much of the offense is finished off by Smith, it is assisted by one of the best in the Pac-12 in freshman sensation Brynna Deluzio, who averages an outstanding 11.26 assists/set and is currently third in the conference in her respective category.

After the ups-and-downs of ASU’s season, here are a couple things the Sun Devils will need to do in order to pick up their first conference victory.

Get the Offense Going Early and Often

The Devils are most dangerous as a team when they effectively set up the dangerous offensive weapons of Oluoma Okaro and Ivana Jeremic to put up points up early and often in the match.

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Another key opponent to the offense will be consistent play from the setter position as the team has struggled to find a true setter to set out and lead the team. The team has switched throughout the season having a pair of freshman in Nicole Peterson and Shelbie Dobmeier split time at the position.

“That’s the thing about both of them, they come off the bench pretty strong but they can’t finish what they start,” ASU head coach Sanja Tomasevic said. “They’re different setters so I would like to get one of them to step up and own the team.”

Less Costly Mistakes

If the Sun Devils want to pick up their first conference win then the first step to doing that is by cutting down mistakes. Since the start of conference play, Arizona State has yet to be able to find the .250 mark in hitting percentage.

The Devils will look to play together as a team and use effective communication to coordinate the team on both sides of the net. By playing a very strategical match, ASU will look to force Colorado to play out of the system and make errors as a result.

“It’s going to be us putting pressure on them both offensively hitting wise and serving so it doesn’t necessarily mean hitting really hard driven balls it’s putting them out of system and making sure that they are in trouble on the other side and then I think if we do that smartly and not make too many mistakes it’s going to be a good night for us,” Tomasevic said.

Play Effective Defense

ASU may not be one of the most intimidating defenses in the nation as they average a mere 2.2 blocks/set, but the Devils play best when their defense is able to set up the offense with effective passing to give whoever may be at setter the best possible pass to be able to spread out the offense to the weapons that the team possesses.

The team is anchored on defense by Unzue, who leads the team in blocks with 57, and libero Halle Harker who leads the team in digs with 5.41 digs/set. Both players will be crucial in determining the success on the defense side of the net which will lead to success on the offensive end.

While Arizona State sits at a winless conference record, there is no doubt from the coaching staff or the players that the team is indeed improving and taking a step forward after each and every game.

Next: ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils fall in four sets to #15 USC

The Pac-12 is one of the, if not the most competitive conference in all of the nation as it is filled with Top-25 teams left and right including last year’s national champion in Stanford. The Sun Devils will look to continue to navigate the Pac-12 gauntlet as they search for their first conference victory.