Superior hitting and a fast start led the Washington State Cougars past ASU volleyball in a three-set victory.
It was yet another difficult loss for ASU on the latter half on their Washington road trip.
The Sun Devils were swept by 18th-ranked Washington State (12-25, 20-25, 21-25) and couldn’t seem to find their groove on offense. ASU dropped to 13-13 (4-10 Pac-12) this season.
Washington State came into the match after losing a five-set marathon against the University of Arizona. The Cougars improved to 18-6 and 9-5 in Pac-12 play.
The Cougars’ offense revolved around the duo of Jocelyn Urias and McKenna Woodford, who each contributed double-digit kills on the match.
The middle blocker, Urias, had an outstanding .667 hitting percentage and started the match on fire with nine straight kills before recording her first attacking error.
On the defensive side, ASU was overwhelmed by length of six-foot-four middle blocker Claire Martin. Martin recorded nine blocks for the Cougars and dominated the Sun Devils in the middle of the floor.
More from Devils in Detail
- Sun Devils Primer: Game 2 vs Oklahoma State
- Sun Devil Insight: Quarterback Room
- Arizona State Spotlight: Kenny Dillingham
- Arizona State 2023 Season Opener: Off To A Good Start
- Arizona State vs USC Prediction and Promo (Expect Offensive Fireworks)
Although the team lost its seventh consecutive conference game, there were a couple bright spots for ASU.
One of those included the play of Nicole Peterson.
Peterson, who started the game on the bench and didn’t play in the first set, finished the day with eight kills and a .222 hitting percentage.
After entering the second set at the outside hitter position, Peterson showed she was ready to play. She began the set with an excellent four kills on five attempts and brought a spark to a stagnant ASU offense.
Although the Sun Devils dropped the second set, 20-25, it was the first time the team showed its fighting spirit.
This carried into the third as the set went back and forth between the teams. The match was ultimately decided by the sloppy play of ASU.
The Sun Devils recorded four of their five total service errors in the third set – the final being on match point, to hand the Cougars the victory.
Next up for ASU is a road trip to face the mountain schools. The Sun Devils first square off with Colorado Friday at 7 p.m.