(Lincoln, NE) With contributions coming from all across the lineup, No. 14 Sun Devil Volleyball dominated its first match of the Nebraska Classic, sweeping Wichita State (25-19, 25-12, 25-13) on Friday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Notable Stats
This is the fourth sweep of the year for Arizona State (7-0). This is also the third time this season that ASU has held an opponent to a sub-.100 hitting percentage as Wichita State (3-4) hit .068, compared to Arizona State’s .340.
The Sun Devils are 7-0 to start the year for the second-consecutive season. The last time ASU had consecutive seasons with 7-0 starts was from 2013-15.
ASU had four aces in the first set and ended with nine. This is the fourth game with nine or more aces in a match this year.
The leader on offense in the win was junior pin hitter Bailey Miller who hit a blistering .706 with a match-high 13 kills. That hitting percentage is a new career high for her and is tied for the seventh best in ASU history in a match in the rally-scoring era. Additionally, her 13 kills are a season high.
Graduate middle blocker Savannah Kjolhede had a strong outing for the Sun Devils, totaling six kills and a match-high six blocks.
Graduate setter Argentina Ung had 28 assists and spread out the offense, with six on the team earning five or more kills. She was offensive-minded herself, notching seven kills, which matches her season high.
On defense, graduate libero Mary Shroll led all players with 15 digs, her ninth-straight match reaching double-digit digs dating back to last season. Senior outside hitter Geli Cyr also earned double figures in digs with 10 to go with her seven kills.
Sophomore Jillian Neal tied her career high in aces with four, which she last had at Washington State last season.
Redshirt freshman Brynn Covell had another solid showing as a defensive and serving specialist. She had three aces, four digs and six assists.
Set One: ASU 25, Wichita St. 19
After trailing by a couple early in the set, Neal helped ASU to a 4-0 run with two aces to go up 6-5. Wichita State scored three in a row to take back the lead, 11-9, before a kill from Cyr got the sideout. The Sun Devils put together another run of four with Neal serving to take control again, 17-15, forcing a timeout from the Shockers. Miller had two kills in another 4-0 run to push the advantage to 21-16. Ung’s third kill of the set won it for ASU, 25-19.
Set Two: ASU 25, Wichita St. 12
A pair of blocks from Cyr and Kjolhede aided Arizona State on a 4-0 run to make it a 9-4 in the second frame. Kjolhede caught fire and helped the Sun Devils score eight points in a row as she had three blocks and a kill to blow the set wide open at 17-5. Wichita State put together a run of four, but a tool from Shania Cromartie ended the momentum, making it 20-11. Miller had a pair of kills down the stretch to get to set point, with a kill from Jeter winning it 25-12.
Set Three: ASU 25, Wichita St. 13
Shroll served ASU to a quick 4-0 lead to start the third set. Miller had three-straight kills to make it a 9-2 lead. Later in the set, there was some back and forth. Kjolhede had a quick kill to get up by 10 and an ace from Covell pushed it to 23-11. The match was won with a kill from Cromartie, 25-13.
Up Next
A top-15 matchup is next for Arizona State as it faces the host team No. 5 Nebraska on Friday night at 7 p.m. CDT/5 p.m. MST on the Big Ten Network.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Kimberlie Haner
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