The University of Arizona women’s volleyball team fell to a 3-1 loss against rival ASU on Thursday, Nov. 13, away in Tempe, where the Sun Devils earned their second win over Arizona this season. Arizona pulled away with only one winning set, 25-11, 25-20, 25-18, 25-22.
Set 1
Feeling empowered after their last game against the Wildcats, where they pulled off a 3-1 win, the Sun Devils came out strong. Standout defensive player Sydney Henry stayed consistent on digs, which made it challenging for the Wildcats to be successful with their kill attempts.
A 4-0 scoring run for the Sun Devils midway through set one forced Arizona to call a timeout to regroup. The Sun Devils came out of the timeout and picked up two more points before a service error by ASU’s Ella Lewis cut the run short. Noemie Glover dominated the Sun Devils’ offense with powerful kills that were tough for Arizona’s defense to handle and the Sun Devils took the set 25-11.
Set 2
After a huge point deficit in the first set the Wildcats hit the court firing. Determined not to let the Sun Devils take the lead, the two teams kept the score close throughout the beginning of the set.
Jordan Wilson and Adrianna Bridges carried their consistent, strong offense from this season into the match with powerful kills that showed the Sun Devils they were ready to compete. The teams battled back and forth for the lead until the score was tied at 20. At that point, the Wildcats tapped into its Bear Down energy and took five straight points to close out the set 25-20, finishing with a kill by Avery Scoggins.
Set 3
The Sun Devils started the third set by taking the lead over the Wildcats and separating the score by three points. Kills from Wilson and Carlie Cisneros kept coming in, but Bailey Miller and Glover, as strong offensive players, kept the Sun Devils in control and made it difficult for the Wildcats to take the lead. Attack errors from Bridges and Wilson late in the set put the ball in the hands of the Sun Devils who closed out the set in their favor 25-18.
Set 4
Coming into the first set with their regular starters, the Wildcats looked energized and ready to even out the match. The Sun Devils secured the first point, but Wilson responded with a kill for the Wildcats to tie the score at 1-1. Midway through the set, the Sun Devils went on a four-point scoring run with Henry and Glover contributing key assists and kills. Cisneros and Wilson pushed back with consistent kills that slowed the Sun Devils lead for a few points. After an Arizona timeout, the Sun Devils went on another four-point run and closed out the set 25-18, earning their second win over the Wildcats this season.
Looking ahead
The Wildcats will stay on the road to face BYU this Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. MST. The Wildcats last played BYU on Nov. 5 when they won 3-1 at home.
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