ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils continue road swing against Oregon schools

ASU volleyball looks to continue Pac-12 success after a win against Cal, but face tough test against the Oregon Schools. Here’s what to expect for ASU.

Oregon St. Beavers

What we can expect: Although the Beavers currently sit tied for last in the Pac-12, this match will be much closer than their last two. The Beavers are 10-4 on the season and 0-2 in conference play and are looking to bounce back at home after two big losses to Oregon and Washington. The Beavers have had four matches go to the fifth set, but are 3-2 when doing so. The team is led by the duo of Amy Underdown and Maddie Goings, both of whom have over 180 kills this season. Last year, the Beavers swept the Sun Devils in both conference games.

Key Stat: .172 hitting percentage – The average hitting percentage of the Beaver’s opponents will be a big factor in the match up with ASU. This is an area where the Beavers clearly have outplayed their opponents, forcing 353 attack errors this season. The Sun Devils have struggled with hitting during losses and if this continues, it will work in favor of the Beavers.

X-Factor: Maddy Gravley– Although Gravley isn’t the team leader in kills, the middle blocker leads in the team in attacking percentage (.264) and has stepped up for the Beavers this season. If the Sun Devils are able to stop Gravley, it will drastically limit the Beavers’ attack. The senior has played nearly every set this season and also leads the team in total blocks (61).

Oregon Ducks

What we can expect: The 12th-ranked Ducks are among the top programs in the nation and will be a difficult match for the Sun Devils. The Ducks come into the game with a 9-3 record (2-0 Pac-12). Their three losses came against No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Nebraska and No. 5 Penn State. One of the Ducks’ victories this season was against the top team in the nation, Minnesota, whom they defeated in four sets. The Ducks are lead by Ronika Stone, who has 57 blocks this year. Last season, the team dominated the Sun Devils in both conference games.

Key Stat: 72 aces – This is the number of aces the Ducks have accumulated this season, along with a .930 serving percentage. The team has also limited its opponents to a combined 34 serving aces. This will be a big factor in the matchup with ASU as the Sun Devils have struggled with serving errors and defending against team with elite servers.

X-Factor: Lindsey Vander Weide– After suffering a knee injury during her junior year, Vander Weide is back to her all-conference form and leads the team in total kills (135) and is second in digs (139) this season. Vander Weide had a career-high in digs (28) in a victory against Washington State.

The Ducks are a deep team, but stopping Vander Weide will gave ASU a much better chance of upsetting the home team.

First serve against Oregon State will come tonight at 7 p.m. ASU will then take the court in Eugene on Sunday at 1 p.m.