ASU Volleyball Writers Roundtable: Dissecting Arizona State’s tournament hopes

(Photo: Haley M Sparacle/WCSN)

Our WCSN volleyball writers broke down the recent success of Arizona State volleyball and more in our most recent writers roundtable.

As we near the end of conference play, which Sun Devil has impressed you the most this season?

Cole Topham: Hand the team MVP to junior outside hitter Andrea Mitrovic, who leads the Sun Devils in points (317.5), kills (283), and kills per set (2.98). Since her transfer from the University of Buffalo prior to last season, Mitrovic has stepped up in 2019 as the team’s go-to option for the big play. She has also played impressively in matchups against the conference’s top opponents, recording 17 kills against No. 17 Utah and a match-high 20 kills versus No. 16 California.

Valentina Martinez: Throughout the season, there was a different hot hitter each match which is atypical for a team. Usually, a team has a consistent hitter they can always rely on such as UCLA’s Mac May or Cal’s Mima Mirkovic. Yet, I think Arizona State had one consistent player and it wasn’t a hitter. The Sun Devil who has impressed me the most this season is senior libero, Courtney Leffel. She took command of Arizona State’s defense throughout the entire season currently totaling 489 digs. Leffel also earned the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week twice this season. Leffel had a way of keeping her team calm and under control through her competitive and aggressive aura on the court — which is no easy feat. Hearing her in press conferences she was candid about the team’s many struggles but maintained a positive mindset as any good leader would. Leffel has had an outstanding final season as a Sun Devil.

Claire Cornelius: Freshman outside hitter Iman Isanovic has impressed me the most throughout conference play. She has risen to the task on multiple occasions, and proven herself as a vital component of the team’s offense, especially in away games – she hit double-digit kills in every road game since Stanford in October. She even earned herself the title of the Pac-12’s Freshman Player of the Week. I also admire her humility as a player, as she does not start every match and sometimes will not play more than a few minutes in a set due to the heavy rotation the Sun Devils choose to play. But when she does play, she makes it count.

What must Arizona State do to reach the NCAA tournament?

CT: Arizona State needs to continue to be resilient. The Sun Devils managed to complete their season sweep of Oregon and Oregon State last weekend, but both efforts took mid-game rallies after falling down 2-1. Things aren’t going to get any easier against a pair of ranked opponents from Washington, USC, and, of course, rival Arizona. By no means will any of the four remaining games a cakewalk, but that’s OK. They’ve been in bleak situations and come out alive before. Head coach Sonja Tomasevic and the rest of the Devils should be comfortable in orchestrating comebacks by now. It’s very possible that they will have to rally some more to achieve their first playoff birth since 2015.

VM: In order to reach the NCAA tournament, it is imperative that the Sun Devils beat the schools that are ranked under them in the Pac-12. Additionally, Arizona State must beat a few ranked teams that they are not expected to so that it may help secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. The team has had several matches where they have nearly beaten a ranked team, for example, when Arizona State faced No. 16 Utah and No. 20 Cal. If they can beat both Washington schools, they will increase their chances of getting to the NCAA tournament.

CC: In order to clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament, Arizona State needs to at least win their last two matches against USC (15-11, 9-7 Pac-12) and Arizona (14-14, 4-12 Pac-12) and possibly even beat one of the Washington schools this weekend. As of now, the Sun Devils have a legitimate opportunity to make it to the NCAA tournament. They’ve beaten every Pac-12 team with lower RPI’s than them, meaning that they have beaten every team they were supposed to, minus one match against Colorado. Making it to the NCAA tournament means continuing this upward momentum in these final matches, and not falling prey to old inconsistent habits.

What do you expect to see from the Sun Devils this weekend against the Washington schools?

CT: Close matches. The last time ASU faced No. 22 Washington State, they won on the road in dramatic fashion with their first 0-2 comeback of the season. However, with the home crowd behind them, I believe the Devils to have an easier time with the Cougars and expect them to complete the sweep on Thursday. Likewise, although the score alone didn’t show it, ASU showed that they could be competitive against No. 10 Washington in their first matchup back in October. Each set was settled by a score of five points or less. By minimizing mistakes on offense and remaining vigilant on defense like they did on the road, I believe the Devils can pull off an upset at home.

VM: I think it’s hard to predict what we can expect from Arizona State since they are known for their unpredictability. However, if their hitting is doing well — meaning, their placement, percentage and players are tactful — then there are high chances that they can perform well against the Cougars and the Huskies.

CC: In Thursday’s match against No. 22 Washington State (22-6, 11-5 Pac-12), I anticipate the Sun Devils will win in four sets. Coming off two road wins in Oregon, Arizona State (15-12, 7-9 Pac-12) has the confidence to beat a ranked team – especially since they beat Washington State in Pullman in a five-set thriller earlier in conference play. As head coach Sanja Tomasevic has said numerous times about her team, they just need to control their side of the net and they will win the match. On the other hand, I think No. 10 Washington (21-5, 12-4 Pac-12) will pose a greater challenge to Arizona State in Sunday’s match. The Sun Devils will likely struggle with maintaining offensive momentum and fall to the Huskies in four sets. The Sun Devil defense will grapple against the Husky senior outside hitter Kara Bajema, who totaled 21 kills the last time these two teams played.