(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
Arizona State volleyball opens its season on the road tonight against Utah Valley University.
The Sun Devils are coming off of a 20-win season in 2012, which was their first time hitting that mark in nearly 20 years. The Wolverines also sported a strong record last year, finishing 18-9.
Both of these teams feature young, energetic lineups, seeing as there are only six seniors total between the two.
“They’re [Utah Valley] going to be a bit younger. But they’re home. They were certainly good at home last year,” head coach Jason Watson said. “There’s always this emotion with opening, so you’re going to be playing with some emotion.”
The game will be a homecoming of sorts for freshmen BreElle Bailey and McKenzie “Kizzy” Willey, as they are both from Highland, Utah.
Another developing storyline will be the continued setter-hitter relationship between sophomores Allison Palmer and Macey Gardner.
The two combined for an outstanding freshman year, with Palmer setting ASU’s all-time single-season assist record at 1,482 and Gardner finishing second on ASU’s all-time single-season kill record with 577.
On the court, Gardner and Palmer have elevated into leadership roles with their international experience over the summer. Gardner said she believes this first weekend is going to be a big test.
“Starting it off, we’re a young team,” Gardner said. “There’s going to be some new experiences on this team for a bunch of these girls. That’s very exciting. For us, it’s just keeping calm, and knowing that there’s going to be a lot of fans there. We’ve got to keep paying attention to what’s on our side of the court.”
Watson expressed some early season excitement as the Devils look to build on one of the most successful seasons in program history.
“I’m just really anxious to get going,” Watson said. “We all are.”
Start time is 6 p.m. and the game can be viewed live online at http://www.uvu.edu/uvutv/.
