(Photo: Paige Cook/WCSN)
Arizona State junior outside hitter Iman Isanovic received the serve from Colorado and found sophomore setter Ella Snyder, who set up sophomore middle blocker Claire Jeter for the match-winning kill. With that, the Devils (11-10, 4-6 Pac-12) would defeat the Buffaloes (12-7, 3-7 Pac-12) and return to Tempe on a three-match winning streak, the first winning streak since ASU won four straight from Sept. 10-16.
The Colorado Buffaloes managed to jump out to an early 4-0 lead and had captured all the momentum. But after falling down five points early, Arizona State head coach Sanja Tomasevic called her first timeout. Jeter would return to the floor with a kill, sparking an offensive explosion for the Sun Devils. The outburst of offensive production helped Arizona State cut Colorado’s lead to three.
The opening set remained close until freshman outside hitter Geli Cyr rode a hot streak that would give the Devils the lead at 22-21. Colorado outside hitter Maya Tabron tied the set at 23 points, but Geli Cyr would answer with consecutive kills, securing the first set victory for Arizona State. Cyr had five kills in the first set and would be vital to her squad. She finished the match with 13 kills, her third consecutive match reaching double digits in the category.
Although the momentum was on the Sun Devils side, the Buffaloes were able to jump out to an early 6-3 lead after two kills by Colorado’s Jill Schneggenburger. However, Isanovic would get Arizona State back into the set by leading her team on a 3-0 scoring burst on consecutive kills. Jeter would also chip in with a block and would set up Snyder for a kill. After the Devils called their first timeout of the set, Colorado head coach Jesse Mahoney called his first timeout of the set.
Returning from the timeout, the Buffaloes would jump out on a 3-0 run and tie the set at 12. Neither team could gain a substantial advantage over the other, and the set would need extra points to determine a victor. Arizona State battled to keep the set alive and found themselves up 27-26 off a kill by Isanovic. The Devils could not convert on set point, and the Buffaloes stormed back into the set. Colorado would eventually take the set, 32-30.
Entering the third set tied at one, Arizona State looked to build off its victory in the first set. Getting things started for the Sun Devils was Claudia Stahlke and Marta Levinska, who helped block the Buffaloes attack. The block would spark an offensive juggernaut, as Arizona State would go on an 8-2 run. The Devils would dominate the third set and take it 25-16. Cyr and Levinska both lead the Devils in kills with five and four, respectively.
Carrying offensive explosion to the fourth set, Arizona State would jump out to an early 7-2 lead off a block from Jeter and Snyder. Isanovic also chipped in with three kills to help increase the lead to 10-3. Coach Mahoney called Colorado’s first timeout of the set, and it proved to be vital, as the Buffaloes cut the lead to two.
After consecutive kills by Jeter, who would finish with 14 kills, five digs and three blocks, a service ace from freshman libero Meadow Cooper gave the Devils a 17-13 lead. Cooper would finish the match with two service aces, a new career-high. Snyder, who tied her career-high in assists with 51, would set up Jeter for the match-winning kill, as the Devils would take the fourth set 25-21.
Tomasevic was impressed with the win and loved the growth her team showed in its first road sweep of the Pac-12 schedule. Arizona State will return to Tempe for a two-match homestand against California and Stanford next weekend. Their next match will be on Friday, Oct. 29, against California at 7 p.m. MST.
“I love seeing the growth and fire our team brings. Everyone is ready to go at all times, even the bench players that came on the court are all contributing when their number is called,” Tomasevic told Sun Devil Athletics. “We will keep working hard and getting better, but for now we will enjoy these two big time wins against two good teams on the road.”
