(Photo via Reece Andrews/WCSN)
Coming off a statement win over their arch-rival in Tucson, the Sun Devils (7-6) are looking to maintain their level of play into the high elevation of Boulder, Colorado. They will continue their long road trip and face off against the Colorado Buffaloes (9-2) on Sunday at 12 p.m MST.
A major component of ASU’s 3-1 win on Wednesday was the play of sophomore outside hitter Geli Cyr. She tallied a career-high 15 kills, with 11 of those coming in the first two sets. Senior outside hitter Iman Isanovic (18 kills) and junior outside hitter Marta Levinksa (17 kills) earned the majority of the looks in the latter half of the match and were able to close the Wildcats out.
Another storyline to watch for the Sun Devils is the battle for the libero position between sophomore Jaden Ravnsborg and senior Annika Larson-Nummer. Larson had been the primary libero for ASU the last two years, but her minutes this season have been heavily cut by the arrival of the Kansas State transfer. Ravnsborg had been the starter for most of the season, totaling 159 digs to this point. Larson got her first start on Aug. 17 against Oral Roberts and has logged 50 digs in two matches.
As for the Buffaloes, they are coming off a dominant three-set win over Utah. Their strong start has been fueled by junior outside hitter Maya Tabron and senior middle blocker Meegan Hart. Tabron leads the team with 132 kills while Hart has 112 kills and a hitting percentage of .483, the second-best mark in the country.
Hart is also one of the team’s best defenders with 49 blocks. The senior is on the front lines with redshirt junior middle blocker Alexia Kuehl, who has used her 6’7 frame to accumulate 56 blocks on the season. The back row is commanded by senior libero Katie Lougeay, who has totaled 130 digs so far.
The Buffaloes are led by eighth-year head coach Jesse Mahoney, who recently earned his 100th win. His team opened up last season strong as well, as Colorado marched to a school-record 9-0 start. Yet, the Buffaloes went a measly 6-14 in conference play and ended the season with a 15-14 record.
The Sun Devils won both of their meetings with Colorado last season, with each going to four sets. Isanovic, Levinska, and Cyr combined for 101 of the team’s 129 kills in those matches.
The match can be viewed on the Pac-12 Network at 7 p.m. MST.
