(Photo via Marina Williams/WCSN)
Arizona State volleyball is coming off a successful home stand in Tempe last weekend that saw the program break a five-match losing streak to USC and sweep UCLA for the first time since 2009.
The sweep of the LA schools proved even more notable as it marked just the third time in program history the Sun Devils swept the two programs in the same weekend, and the first time it had been done since 2010.
After the clashes with the Trojans and Bruins, ASU entered the latest AVCA coaches poll ranked No. 19 in the country, the highest the Sun Devils have been on the poll since 2015. ASU (17-1, 5-1 Pac-12) now hits the road to the state of Oregon where they will face off against Oregon State (5-11, 0-6 Pac-12) and No. 5 Oregon (15-2, 5-1 Pac-12) respectively.
ASU head coach JJ Van Niel will matchup across a fellow first-year head coach Friday in Oregon State’s Lindsey Behonick, who is still looking for her first victory against a Pac-12 Conference opponent this season.
Coming into the matchup, the Beavers are ranked dead last in the Pac-12 standings after dropping both of their matches last weekend against Utah and Colorado in the Rocky Mountains. However, ASU and Oregon State have had their recent share of contested battles, as neither side has won in straight sets in the last six matchups.
Senior outside hitter Mychael Vernon has been the standout star for the Beavers this season, ranking 20th in the Pac-12 in both digs and digs per set. Vernon places even better in points, points per set, kills and kills per set, residing in the top-10 of the conference in all four statistical categories.
Graduate transfer opposite hitter Megan Sheridan has also had her impactful moments this season, as she has started to come into her own and after transferring from Butler. Sheridan is coming off an 18-kill performance against Colorado last Sunday, marking the third-straight match with double-digit kills.
While the Sun Devils stand as the favorite against the Beavers, they will face one of their toughest tests of the season Sunday against the Ducks.
Oregon’s only two losses on the year have come at the hands of formidable opponents in then-No. 10 Minnesota and then-No. 7 Washington State. The Ducks have also been able to notch strong wins early in the season to their resume with three top-15 wins against San Diego, Ohio State and Pittsburgh.
The secret to Oregon’s success is centered around its points scored versus points allowed ratio. The Ducks are lead the Pac-12 in blocks and and rank third in digs, allowing them to limit the amount of scoring opportunities their opponents get. Conversely, Oregon is ranked first in the conference in kills and second in points scored per set, enabling the offense to rack up points and feed off the stout play the defense provides.
The Ducks’ scoring attack is led by sophomore outside hitting sensation Mimi Colyer, who ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in kills per set at 4.1 and fourth in total number of kills on the season, where she currently clocks in at 254.
Colyer is Oregon’s top offensive producer, accounting for 4.8 points per set. Senior outside hitter Gabby Gonzales is also a key contributor who tallied two double-doubles and a .380 hitting percentage across both wins last week against Colorado and Utah.
The Sun Devils have dropped four matches in a row to the Ducks, and haven’t won in Eugene since 2019. ASU looks to stop that streak on Sunday, as the match will also feature some family competition. Sun Devil freshman Jillian Neal will see her sister on the other side of the net, with older sister Colby Neal being a middle blocker for the Ducks.
Friday’s matchup against Oregon State can be viewed at 7 p.m. MST on Oregon State Live Stream, and Sunday’s match against the Ducks will start at 12 p.m. MST and be showcased on Pac-12 Network.
