ASU Volleyball: Sun Devils win second straight against ranked opponent

(Photo: Paige Cook/WCSN)

Coming off a reverse sweep at home against UCLA, the Arizona State Sun Devils would hit the road and carry Sunday’s success over into their next match.

Arizona State defeated No. 18 Utah in four sets (25-23, 25-23, 25-27, 28-26) behind junior Iman Isanovic’s team high 24 kills. This was Isanovic’s fifth time this season with 20 or more kills. For head coach Sanja Tomasevic this was her first win against Utah and the first win for Arizona State since the Sun Devils defeated the Utes in 2015.

This was Utah’s first loss at home this season after starting out 7-0 in Salt Lake City. Arizona State had a team high 17 total blocks, the most since 2016.

The Sun Devils jumped out to a quick start, taking a 5-2 lead over the Utes. ASU went into the media timeout of the first set up 15-11.

Following the media timeout, Arizona State would go on two different 3-0 scoring runs that saw Utah call their first timeout of the set down 22-15. Utah would then go on a 3-0 scoring run themselves that would see Arizona State call a timeout of their own up 22-18.

The Utes went on a 4-0 scoring run to tie things up at 22. The Sun Devils were able to halt the scoring run and take the last two points behind kills from freshman Geli Cyr and sophomore Claire Jeter. Taking set one by a score of 25-23.

Set two started with both teams going back and forth trading points. Arizona State would then go on a 4-0 scoring run to take a 12-7 lead. Zoe Weatherington and Dani Drews would get the Utes back in the set, following multiple kills by the two players and knotting up at 14 a piece.

Much like the set started, the teams were trading points in a set that saw 12 ties and four lead changes. Isanovic’s 11th kill of the match would push the Sun Devils to a two-set lead winning 25-23 once again.

Arizona State had eight blocks through two sets. An area head coach Sanja Tomasevic had addressed the team needed to improve on. The Utes were able to get out to an early lead in the third set. Isanovic’s 14th kill of the night would put the Sun Devils down one trailing 9-8.

The Sun Devils would call their first timeout of the set down 12-9. Neither team were able to go on any significant scoring runs before the Sun Devils would call their final timeout down 17-14.

Following their final timeout of the set the Sun Devils came out to tie the set following two kills by Isanovic once again. Both teams would be knotted up at 23 before Utah would call a timeout of their own.

Unable to capitalize on match point the Sun Devils would fall to the Utes 27-25 and head to a fourth set up 2-1.

Arizona State got off to a quick start in the fourth set, taking a 5-1 lead over Utah. Sophomore Marta Levinska would start off with two kills at the beginning of the set. Utah would cut the lead down to one and it was 11-10. After trading points Utah would go on a 3-0 scoring run to take the lead 19-18. The teams were all tied up at 23 and a failed match point by Arizona State would see the teams tied at 26. A kill by Cyr and a block by the Sun Devils gave them the fourth set 28-26 and a match win over Utah.

After the third conference victory of the season evened ASU’s record at 10-10 for the year, the Sun Devils will take on Colorado Sunday at 11 a.m.