(Photo: Haley Spracale/WCSN)
Arizona State fell short to UCLA in a three-set (13-25, 14-25, 20-25) match on Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion in its first conference road-game of the season.
UCLA dominated the first two sets and secured the lead from the start of the third set, going on a six-point run. However, Arizona State kept the Bruins on their toes keeping the final set at a close score.
The Sun Devils, who struggled to compete with the Bruins in the first two sets, began to work as a team, increasing the number of various attacks and steadying their defense. However, it was too little, too late in the match to secure a set against the Bruins.
UCLA junior outside hitter Mac May dominated the court, maintaining an offensive and defensive threat that the Sun Devils were unable to stop throughout the entire match. May led both teams in kills, totaling 15, and hit at a phenomenal .452 clip. May was also a crucial component to UCLA’s defense producing a total of eight digs.
Senior outside for the Bruins, Simo Savvy, also propelled the UCLA offense with 12 kills. Like her teammate, Savvy also had eight digs, contributing to the Bruins’ durable defense.
Junior outsides, Claire Kovensky and Andrea Mitrovic, paced Arizona State’s struggling offense, grabbing eight and six respectively.
Sophomore libero for the Bruins, Kelli Barry, led both teams in digs with a total of 16. Senior libero, Courtney Leffel, didn’t trail far behind with a total of 10.
The Sun Devils looked nothing like the team who swept Arizona at Wells Fargo Arena just days before. The Bruins steady lead in each set broke down Arizona State’s offense and defense.
UCLA’s offense was a dynamic force, not only using powerful hits to score points but also expanding their offensive capability in tips placed tactfully around the court ultimately keeping the Sun Devils guessing on defense.
The Bruins set the tone early in the match with a whopping total of 16 kills in the first set as opposed to ASU’s seven kills. Further, UCLA collectively hit at .467 clip in the first set. Meanwhile, Arizona State hit at a low .065 clip as a team.
The Bruins continued to dominate on the court both offensively and defensively in the second set. UCLA never gave up their sizable lead.
The Bruins came into the match following a nail biting five set win against their in-state rivals, USC. Likewise, the Sun Devils came into the match fresh off a sweep of their in-state rivals, the University of Arizona.
Both teams came into the match succeeding liberating home-openers but only one team could continue their winning streak in conference play and UCLA came out on top.
Arizona State will face Colorado in their next match back home in Tempe at Wells Fargo Arena, Friday, Oct. 4.
