ASU Volleyball: Addressing the right side

(Photo: Trey Lanthier/WCSN)

Once again, the No. 20 Arizona State Sun Devils had a chance to come away from a weekend with a sweep, and once again, they came away from the weekend splitting their two conference matches.

What may be the most frustrating thing for the Sun Devils is the opportunities are there for them. After staving off a stubborn Utah team in five sets last Friday, ASU stumbled out of the gates against No. 21 Colorado before forcing a fifth set. Ultimately, a slow start in the final set led to ASU’s demise, and they were left with another 1-1 weekend, and it also left head coach Jason Watson with a slate of issues to figure out for his team.

“Can we figure out a way to create some more point-scoring opportunities?” Watson asked. “I feel like we’re managing – offensively – we’re managing away from scoring points, and that has me pretty concerned.”

Part of the offensive struggles has been the struggles and inconsistencies of sophomore right side hitter BreElle Bailey. Against Colorado, Bailey tallied just four kills on her 16 swings to go along with two attacking errors before Watson decided to sub in freshman Madison McDaniel, who ended up racking up three blocks and three kills.

“I’ve been practicing right side, so coming in in that stressful situation, I mean, I’m a lot more comfortable now, and it was a lot easier for me,” McDaniel said.

That being said, McDaniel’s natural position is at setter, but Bailey’s struggles as of late forced Watson to make a change in that match.

“We need some offensive productivity out of the right (side) that we haven’t got,” Watson said. “And while (McDaniel) came in and did some nice things for us, she didn’t provide the offensive output that we need, but we understand that’s a tough spot for her to be in.”

The offensive scarcity from the right-side pin has been drastic as Bailey has averaged just 1.68 kills per set in conference play with a .065 hitting percentage.

“It’s just something I’m going through myself,” Bailey said. “And, just, every athlete goes through their ups and downs, and I’m just in a valley right now, and I’m just working through some stuff. It’s all on me.”

Even with her offensive issues, Bailey still remains second on the team in blocks with 31 in Pac-12 play. Her 6-foot-4 frame provides a solid physical presence at the net, but until she finds her offensive stride, the Sun Devils will continue to find themselves at .500 in conference play.

“We would like (Bailey) to take some shots away when I’m playing back row,” junior setter Bianca Arellano said. “But I think for any right side, it’s definitely important because you’re blocking the outside hitter, and they’re going to get the most swings, so we definitely get her and any right side dialed in every single game.”

All things considered, ASU is playing well. In fact, compared with last October when ASU went 1-7, the Sun Devils are far and away a better team this season than last, something they are keeping in mind as the pressure and frustration to sweep a weekend builds.

“We just kept saying – not to be negative – but let’s not let October [of 2013] happen again,” Willey said. “Last year was kind of a disaster.”

That being said, finding production from the right side is a priority for Watson and his staff. Both McDaniel and redshirt freshman Kwyn Johnson have had time in that spot, but neither is the offensive threat that Bailey is when she finds her groove.

“I think we’re looking at some options,” Watson said. “I think it’s all part of the offensive puzzle right now.”

For the Sun Devils, the bright side lies in the fact that they have a plethora of offensive options – most notably junior outside hitter Macey Gardner – to pick up the slack while Bailey figures things out, and with eight matches left on the schedule, the time for a tournament push is here.

Clearly, with a league-record eight ranked teams in the Pac-12, the road is far from easy. Nonetheless, Watson and his team are ready and prepared to take on what the Pac-12 holds during the rest of the season.

You can reach Zac Pacleb on Twitter @ZacPacleb or via email at zacpacleb@gmail.com

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