(Photo: Paige Cook/WCSN)
Following a Sparky Invitational that saw Arizona State split the two-match-invitational, the Devils are heading into conference play with a 7-4 record and are 4-1 in their last five matches. The Devils gained a significant amount of experience from the 2021 non-conference matches that will help them when they start conference play on Thursday night in Tempe.
“I think we gained a lot of experience,” junior outside hitter Iman Isanovic said when referring to ASU’s non-conference play. “We finished 7-4 but we played really good teams.”
The Sun Devils’ new experiences will help them throughout conference play, Isanovic said. She also added that it will help them in high-pressure situations because Arizona State has had five matches go into the fifth set. The Sun Devils are 2-3 in five-set matches.
Arizona Wildcats: (8-3)
The Devils will open conference play with the Territorial Cup on Sept. 23 against the Arizona Wildcats. The Wildcats will arrive in Tempe riding a three-match win streak, beating UC Riverside, San Diego State, and Texas Southern.
A player to keep an eye on is freshman opposite hitter Puk Stubbe. Stubbe is a freshman from the Netherlands who was a member of the Netherlands women’s national beach volleyball team for six years. Just this past week, Stubbe was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
Last season, the Sun Devils won the first match in a thrilling five-set contest but were swept in the final match of the season by the Wildcats. Since head coach Sanja Tomasevic took over the program in 2017, the Devils are 3-5 against their rivals and have been swept in four of the five losses.
The most recent match between the two programs came on March 7, 2021, when the Sun Devils beat the Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena in five sets. Marta Levinska led the way with 16 kills and Annika Larson pitched in with 16 digs.
No. 13 Oregon Ducks: (9-1)
The last time Oregon and Arizona State faced off, the Ducks swept the Devils in dominating fashion, as the Devils were outscored in the match 75-52. This was unfortunate for the Devils as just two days before, they upset the Ducks in a five-set match. After splitting with Arizona State, the Ducks entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 10 seed, before losing to Purdue in the third round.
The Ducks are off to a strong start to the 2021 campaign, opening the season with a 9-1 record. Their only loss came via No. 9 Minnesota. The Golden Gophers knocked off the Ducks in a match decided by three points in the fifth set. Oregon has been rewarded for its solid play by being ranked at No. 13, the highest ranked Pac-12 team.
A player who will have an impact in this match is redshirt sophomore, Abby Hansen. Hansen earned Pac-12 Weekly Accolades after a strong performance this past weekend, which saw her average 1.80 blocks per set. The 6-foot-5 middle blocker is currently ranked second in the Pac-12 and 15th in the nation in blocks per set, averaging 1.48 blocks.
Since taking over the program in 2017, Tomasevic has a record of 4-4 against Oregon, meaning a win on Sunday would put the program above .500 in head-to-head matchups for the first time in the Tomasevic era. A win against No. 13 Oregon would not only open eyes in the Pac-12, but also across the nation.
The Sun Devils will play Arizona at 6 p.m. Thursday night and take on Oregon at noon on Sunday Sept. 26. Both matches will be at Desert Financial Arena.
