ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils shock No. 14 USC in Tempe

ASU volleyball snapped an 11-match losing streak defeating No. 14 USC in four sets behind Alyse Ford’s dominant night against her former team.

Nothing is sweeter than breaking a losing streak – especially when it comes against a ranked opponent.

“Awesome match by our girls,” said ASU coach Sanja Tomasevic. “They fought really hard, they went after every ball, and hit some really smart shots.

“I’m super pumped on how we played. I hope we can do this for the rest of the season.”

The Sun Devils knocked off the 14th-ranked USC in four sets (25-14, 25-19, 19-25, 25-18), splitting the season series with Trojans.

USC came into the match ranked second in the Pac-12 and dropped to 20-9 (12-6 Pac-12) while ASU improved to 14-16 (5-13 Pac-12).

Coming into the game USC, were winners of five of their last six games, including a five-set victory over the University of Arizona on Friday.

On the other side, the Sun Devils snapped an 11-match losing streak and had their first conference win since Oct. 7.

More from Devils in Detail

USC was led by Brooke Botkin, who had a team-high 16 kills to go along with 10 digs. Despite the strong performance from Botkin, it was the ASU defense that stole the show.

In the first set, the Sun Devils limited USC to only 14 points and a hitting percentage of .147. USC committed 23 hitting errors on the match.

That dominant start carried into the second, as the Trojans struggled to find their footing, committing seven hitting errors in that set alone.

In the third, it seemed USC had figured out the Sun Devils’ defense, utilizing the middle of the court to their advantage. The Trojans fought back to cut the deficit to one set.

But ASU regrouped during the break to blank the Trojans in the final set, 25-18. During the fourth the Sun Devils hit their lowest percentage of the match, but limited USC to only ten kills.

A mark that truly defined the defense was a 17-dig margin in favor of ASU for the match.

“We were so disciplined because we know we have to dig well,” said setter Nicole Peterson. “We have to dig well, to set well, to hit well.”

It was that defensive effort that carried the Sun Devils to a strong four-set victory over the Trojans.

Earlier in the season, Alyse Ford struggled against her former team. It wasn’t the case this time around.

Ford dominated the Trojans in all facets, providing the focal point of offense for ASU while chipping in two blocks on the defensive side of the net.

The outside hitter recorded her fourth 20-kill match of the season with 25 kills against the Trojans. Ford came out of the tunnel energized and carried that throughout the match.

“I focused on having smart shots versus being super aggressive, which is usually how I am,” Ford said. “But I really listened to my teammates when they were telling me what was open.”

Along with Ford, the Sun Devils had two other players record double-digit kills in Claire Kovensky and Ivana Jeremic. It was the first time Jeremic recorded over ten kills after an eight-match skid.

Tonight was about team effort that carried the Sun Devils to the upset victory.

“Honestly the word I can use to describe it is together,” Peterson added. “When we are together ,we’re pumped. No one can touch our energy.”

Next. ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils fight hard but fall to UCLA. dark

The Sun Devils will play the first of their final two matches on Wednesday, facing No. 2 Stanford at 5 p.m. MT.

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.