ASU Volleyball: Revamped Devils looking to rebound from winless conference season

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

The Arizona State women’s volleyball team will begin its 2018 season in under two weeks and aims to shake off a dismal 2017 season.

In 2017, the Sun Devils earned a respectable 10-2 record in the non-conference season before going winless in the gauntlet of the Pac12. The Sun Devils thrice took matches to five sets, even coming as close as two points away from a four-set victory over Colorado in mid-November. But even in spite of impressive seasons from senior libero Halle Harker and senior middle blocker Oluoma Okaro, ASU could not finish the job, not even once. The Sun Devils finished with an 0-20 record in the Pac12, becoming the first such team to do so since Oregon State finished without a conference win in 2013.

Now with both Harker and Okaro gone and the Pac12 looking as strong as ever, Sanja Tomasevic’s squad is in need of a revamp. That may be coming in the form of a strong freshman class that looks to compliment a still-young core of returners from last season.

Sophomore outside hitter Ivana Jeremic tallied up a strong, albeit inconsistent, 2017 campaign while playing next to the strong swing of senior middle blocker Oluoma Okaro. Finishing third on the team in kills last season, Jeremic will return for her junior season this fall, providing a dose of experience to an ASU attack that will be missing its two top attackers from a season ago. Jeremic will need to be a consistent, reliable presence on the outside if the Devils are to fill the holes vacated by Okaro and the now-transfered Griere Hughes.

Junior setter/ pin hitter Nicole Peterson is another important returning cog to ASU’s lineup. The Portland native finished sixth in the Pac12 with 785 assists last season and was excellent as the transition piece between the defense of Harker and the offense of Okaro. Peterson racked up a strong 9.94 assists per set and also tallied 40 kills, many of them coming off of joust plays at the net. That attacking aptitude will come in handy as Peterson will transition into the pin hitter position this fall.

Other notable returners include Callie Jones who, as a defensive specialist, will look to fill the vacancy left by the graduated Harker. Jones saw limited time last season, appearing in just seven matches for the Sun Devils, but netted 44 assists in her only start against Portland State. Carmen Unzue will likely get a bit more freedom this season as the likely replacement for Okaro in the middle blocker position. Unzue provides the Sun Devils with some athleticism at the net, leading ASU with 96.0 total blocks last year.

It is the newcomers that provide ASU the greatest chance to improve from their lowly standing in the Pac12 from last season. ASU adds four freshman this fall, in addition to sophomore GCU transfer Claire Kovensky. The reigning WAC Freshman of the Year, Kovensky lead the ‘Lopes with 305 kills and 39.0 blocks in her lone season at GCU. The California native will slide in alongside Ivana Jeremic at the outside hitter position.

Also joining the Sun Devils is freshman outside hitter Avital Jaloba, who has competed for the Israeli women’s national team since 2013. Freshman and Arizona native Tatum Rohme will provide depth at the setter position while freshmen Paige Denton and Keelie LeBlanc both round out ASU’s outside hitter corps.

ASU kicks off its 2018 season at 11 a.m. Saturday with an open scrimmage at Wells Fargo Arena. The team begins non-conference play on Aug. 24, hosting UT Arlington at 11 a.m. and New Mexico State at 7 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena as part of the Sun Devil Classic.

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