ASU Volleyball: Setters step up in five-set thriller against No. 20 California

(Photo: Travis David V Whittaker/WCSN)

Senior setter Nicole Peterson, a vital component of the Arizona State (13-12, 5-9 Pac-12) offense, didn’t warm up or play in Sunday’s thrilling match against No. 20 California (20-4, 10-4 Pac-12). Peterson missed Sunday’s match with an injury, but sophomore Noa Miller and senior Callie Jones stepped up to the task and performed exceptionally.

Miller and Jones both ended the match with 28 assists – a noticeable increase from their last match against No. 5 Stanford (18-4, 12-2 Pac-12) where Miller totaled only four and Jones tallied 13.

“We talked to the setters about executing more,” head coach Sanja Tomasevic said.

Setters are often an overlooked and underappreciated position in volleyball, but they play a crucial role in how well the offense performs. With the setters locked in and focused, the Arizona State outside hitters and middle blockers played at their full capacity against another ranked Pac-12 opponent.

“In our first set, it was easy for our setters to hold the rhythm,” Tomasevic said.

The Arizona State setters utilized all of their players, rather than relying on just one outside hitter for attacks. This variation allowed for a more spread out offense, and multiple opportunities for kills.

Junior middle blocker Megan Beedie totaled 13 kills at a .476 hitting percentage by the end of the match. Junior outside hitter Andrea Mitrovic led both teams in kills with 20.

Miller experimented with different tactics on the court, including dumping – which she hasn’t attempted much in conference play. Her efforts proved successful as the Sun Devil offense became more unpredictable and more difficult to read by the Golden Bears, resulting in a nail-biting five-set match.

Although the Sun Devil offensive momentum fizzled out during the second and third sets, Miller and Jones maintained their resilience and continued to prove how effective they can be in rallying their team.

“I think we just have to continue to play for each other more than letting our egos get in the way,” senior setter Callie Jones said following the loss to California. “I think sometimes we get really selfish, but we still need to learn how to put it all out there for each other.”

The setters lead their team in communication on the court, and are sometimes compared to a quarterback in that sense. With the Arizona State setters striving to do better, the rest of the team could follow as well.