(San Diego, CA) No. 16 Sun Devil Volleyball continues to showcase its balanced offense as four reached double-digit kills en route to a win over UC Santa Barbara in four sets (25-10, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14) in the first match of the Jack Talmadge Volleyball Classic on Friday.
Notable Stats
- Arizona State improves to 4-0 on the year while UC Santa Barbara falls to 1-3.
- Four Sun Devils reached double figures in kills in the win as the team hit .366 while holding the Gauchos to .097. This is the second match that ASU has held an opponent to a sub-.100 hitting percentage.
- Graduate setter Argentina Ung earned her first double-double of the season with 42 assists and 10 digs, both season highs. It also is the first double-double for any Sun Devil. The 42 assists is a season high for her and the 31st time in her career with 40 or more assists. She also added three aces, which ties her career high. She last had three aces in 2022.
- Both outside hitters Geli Cyr and Shania Cromartie tied for the match-high of 13 kills. Cromartie, a graduate, neared a double-double with nine digs and had a .355 clip.
Graduate middle blocker Claire Jeter had 11 kills while hitting .579, adding six digs (tying her career high) and four blocks. Junior opposite Bailey Miller also had 11 kills, a season high, with a .318 hitting percentage.
Holding down the defense, graduate Mary Shroll had a season-high 21 digs. This is her ninth match with 20-plus in her career, first of the season.
Set One: ASU 25, UCSB 10
Miller got off to a hot start in the first set, scoring three early kills to put her team up 9-5. A 7-0 run with Jeter at the service line and two kills and a block from Savannah Kjolhede extended the lead to 17-7. The Sun Devils won the set with four-straight points and two-consecutive kills from Jeter.
Set Two: UCSB 25, ASU 23
Hometown hero Jillian Neal had two aces in a 6-0 run to put Arizona State up 10-6 in the second frame. From there it was back and forth until UC Santa Barbara went on an 8-1 run to take the lead at 22-19. The Sun Devils held off three-straight set points, but the Gauchos would hold on to win 25-23.
Set Three: ASU 25, UCSB 16
After trading points to start the set, two kills in a row from Cromartie put ASU up 9-6. A 5-1 run from UCSB made it a one-point game at 13-12, but Brynn Covell served Arizona State to five points in a row with three kills from Cyr to extend the lead to 18-12. Cromartie had a couple more kills down the stretch to help the Sun Devils secure the 25-16 win and to take the 2-1 match lead.
Set Four: ASU 25, UCSB 14
It was all Sun Devils to start the fourth frame. It was 9-1 for ASU early on after seven in a row with Ung serving, a run that saw all three of her aces. Neal added another ace to make it 12-2. For the rest of the set, it was back and forth, but the damage was done and a kill from Cyr sealed the deal, 25-14.
Up Next
Arizona State will play host team San Diego tomorrow at 6 p.m. PDT/MST. That match will be live on ESPN+.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Kimberlie Haner
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