ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils begin homestand against Oregon schools

ASU volleyball have dropped four in a row, but look to bounce back against the Oregon Schools. Here’s what to expect for ASU.

Oregon Ducks

What we can expect: The 16th-ranked Ducks have had a couple slip ups this season, but continue to be one of the best teams in the Pac-12 this season. Oregon is coming off a loss to No. 2 Stanford, but have won four out of their last six games. The Ducks come into the game with a 13-7 record (6-4 Pac-12). The Ducks are lead by Ronika Stone, who has 86 blocks this year. Earlier this season, ASU pulled off a three-set upset of the Ducks.

Key Stat: 209 digs – This is the number of digs Lindsey Vander Weide has this season. The Ducks’ all-conference outside hitter averages over three digs a set and also has 238 kills on the year. Vander Weide has been near unstoppable at times this season and has missed only three sets this season. With five Ducks over 140 digs this season, it will be the strong Oregon defense that the Sun Devils will need to work around to get a victory.

X-Factor: Length of match – The Ducks are 8-3 this season when they play only three sets, but that number dips to 3-3 in four-set matches and 2-1 in five-set matches. The Sun Devils will need to mount an early lead if they want to put the Ducks away like earlier in the season. On the other side of the net, ASU has only played in two five-set matches and are 1-1 when doing so. The advantage will certainly be in Oregon’s favor if this match goes beyond three sets.

Oregon St. Beavers

What we can expect: After starting the season 10-2, Oregon St. has dropped their last 10 games, including every conference game this season. The Beavers are 10-12 on the season and 0-10 in conference play and have struggled to regain their momentum after an upset of 21st-ranked Iowa State earlier this season. The Beavers face off with No. 23 Arizona before matching up against ASU. Earlier this season, the Beavers suffered a three-set loss at home to the Sun Devils.

Key Stat: 214 blocks – This is the number of blocks the Beavers have this season, and is good for first in the Pac-12. One aspect where ASU has struggled has been with dealing with size from opponents and dealing with teams who average a lot of blocks similar to the Beavers. Oregon St. averages over 2.5 blocks per set and only has 45 blocking errors this season. The Sun Devils will need to overcome these woes to pull out of a victory over Oregon St.

X-Factor: Amy Underdown- The junior has 260 kills and has played in all 83 of the Beavers sets this season. Underdown has contributed on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball for Oregon St. The outside hitter has 45 blocks this season and is looking to reach 200 digs this season, a mark she currently sits one short of. On offense, Underdown is third on the team with 18 service aces and has been a focal point of offense for the team.

First serve against Oregon will come Friday night at 7 p.m. PT. ASU will then take the court against Oregon State on Sunday at 12 p.m. PT.