(Photo: Travis David V Whittaker/WCSN)
Arizona State (8-3) swept Kansas (4-5) in three sets Friday (25-19, 25-20, 25-17), extending their winning streak to three games while leaving the Rebel Classic with a 2-0 record.
Kansas and Arizona State were neck and neck at the start of the first set, with the Jayhawks even leading at times. However, the Sun Devils were able to take the first set after going on a 9-2 run. Junior outside hitter Claire Kovensky ended the set with a service ace.
Kovensky led the Sun Devils in several areas including digs (9), blocks (4), and kills (10). All four pin hitters for Arizona State earned 8 or more kills which allowed the sets to vary throughout the match and helped their offense stay balanced on the attack. Specifically, senior outside hitter Ivana Jeremic produced 8 kills while hitting at a .500 clip.
Continuing her performance from last night, junior outside hitter Andrea Mitrovic managed to make the leaderboard with 3 service aces. Arizona State collectively hit above a .250 clip, a drop-off from the .300-plus hitting percentage Thursday against UNLV.
Kansas collectively had over 100 attacks but the Sun Devils held them to a .106 clip as a team. The Jayhawks also struggled with serving, producing a total of 10 service errors. Senior outside hitter Ashley Smith led Kansas in kills with 7, while junior setter Sara Nielson led the Jayhawks with 23 assists. The Jayhawks senior libero, Allie Nelson, led both teams in digs with 10.
Kansas and Arizona State had a plethora of energy throughout the first set which caused multiple long rallies. The Sun Devils were able to go on an 9-2 run early on in the match. Both teams struggled getting the ball across the net. Each team totaled three service errors in just the first set. The Sun Devils constantly defended their lead in the first set, totaling 20 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Avital Jaloba ended the set with a kill from an assist by senior setter, Nicole Peterson.
Arizona State continued to face difficulty with serving ending the second set with a total of four service errors. The Jayhawks and the Sun Devils took several swings throughout the game but often failed to execute. Arizona State had 35 attack attempts but only 13 kills. Likewise, Kansas had 35 attack attempts but produced merely 11 kills.
The Sun Devils managed to go on a 5-0 run in the second set thanks to Kovensky, who had three kills as well as a solo block. The Jayhawks also had shining moments, with their front row dominating at the net totaling six blocks. The set ended with an attack error by Jayhawks’ senior outside, Ashley Smith.
Kansas came into the match following a three-set loss to Syracuse at their very own Kansas Invitational on Sunday, September 15. The Jayhawks were unable to get out of their slump from the Syracuse match, falling the Sun Devils dominate the court.
Arizona State will face its in-state rival, Arizona, in their next match, as the Sun Devils and Wildcats matchup at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Thursday, Sept. 26. The Wildcats have an 8-2 overall record this season and placed in the top five of the Pac-12 last year. The match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
