(Photo: ASU Athletics)
No. 22 Arizona State looks to make some noise in the postseason in their first round match-up against the red-hot Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. MT. This will be the Sun Devils’ third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, which marks the first time they have done that since 1995. The winner of this match will likely be pit against the 2-seed Texas Longhorns in the second round.
“The next challenge is to stay in the tournament longer,” ASU head coach Jason Watson said. “It is a skill set to get there but it is another skill set to stay there longer.”
The Sun Devils completed their season on an up-and-down note, pulling out a victory over the UCLA Bruins in five sets and following that up with a lackluster loss in three sets to their in-state rival Arizona Wildcats. Inconsistency has been the theme of ASU’s season, with people never knowing quite which team will show up each match. The Sun Devils will hope to see the offensive juggernaut that has shown up in glimpses in some games all season long.
“This is really going to be tough,” Watson said. “It is going to be really challenging for us.”
The Aggies are on a hot streak coming into this match, being winners of six straight up to this point in the year. Their most recent victories have come on the road, against Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Junior middle blocker Shelby Sullivan will lead the team into battle with a team-high 317 kills and a clip of 2.86 per set. When Sullivan and the Texas A&M offense start clicking, they are very tough to contain, so getting control of the block and not letting the ball get over the net is very important for ASU in this match.
The Sun Devils and Aggies have met four times in program history, with the most recent meeting coming on Sept. 10, 1988. ASU has a 3-1 record against Texas A&M.
Key Match-ups
-Junior middle blocker Whitney Follette vs Aggies Defense
The inconsistent play of Follette has been well-documented all season long as her rhythm offensively has fluctuated from match to match, most recently in a rivalry game against the Wildcats. She finished the game with only two kills and a measly -.231 hitting percentage which mirrors the result for the Sun Devils as they were swept. ASU will need Follette to play to the best of her abilities and become a complement of Gardner if they want to stay competitive in this one.
Junior middle blocker Mercedes Binns vs Aggie Attack
The combo of Sullivan and setter Stephanie Aiple, who leads the team averaging 10.81 assists per set and 1,081 on the year, is very dangerous and could exploit a team’s defense in an instant.
“They have a freshman setter who is doing a really good job setting up the middle,” Watson said. “I think that is the matchup that is greatly concerning (in this game).”
Binns will have her hands full but if she puts up block totals like she has done all season, with a team-leading 104, it could give A&M’s offense fits.
-Junior outside hitter Macey Gardner vs Sullivan
Two stars will be matching up in Austin, as Gardner and Sullivan will go at it to try to prevent elimination and take their respective teams to the next round of the tournament. Between Gardner’s impressive 266 kills on the year to Sullivan’s 317, something has got to give as the winner of this battle will more than likely carry their team to a victory.
“We are looking for some wins this weekend,” Gardner said. “ We are ready to go to work.”
Prediction
The Sun Devils will compete for the entire match but the Aggie offense will be too much, as Texas A&M will survive a five-set thriller and move on to the second round.
