(Photo: Travis David V Whittaker/WCSN)
Following a non-conference slate which saw Arizona State (8-3) play all 11 of its games away from Wells Fargo Arena, the Sun Devils return to Tempe to open Pac-12 play against Arizona (10-2) Thursday night at 7 p.m. Some of WCSN’s volleyball reporters gathered to give their thoughts on the state of the Sun Devils and predictions for conference play.
What is the Sun Devils biggest strength entering Pac-12 play?
Valentina Martinez: Arizona State has strong pin hitters, but whether they are consistent or are given the ability to take swings is a different story. The Sun Devils have the potential to be a winning team if their hitters are able to compete at their full potential. In a way their biggest strength is also a weakness because if the hitters are not able to read how they should attack — down line or cross court, for example — then scoring will not be an easy task for ASU.
Claire Cornelius: ASU’s biggest strength heading into conference play is definitely their pin hitters. Senior Ivana Jeremic, and juniors Claire Kovensky and Andrea Mitrovic have the potential to be powerful hitters, so long as they are getting good passes from their setters and being consistent. These hitters’ performances will determine how well the Sun Devils compete during conference play, especially because their defense is lacking.
Jake Santo: The Sun Devils biggest strength manifests from its outside hitters. Senior Jada Burse and juniors Andrea Mitrovic and Claire Kovensky lead the team in kills per set. Mitrovic, Burse and Kovensky have kill per set rates of 3.63, 3.20 and 2.87, respectively. These three upperclassmen have the potential to dictate how the Devils’ overall season goes. If the setters for Arizona State can create a quality framework for attacks, ASU can potentially compete with the conference’s top teams.
Who is the player you’re most interested to watch heading into Thursday’s opener?
VM: My player to watch is Andrea Mitrovic. The junior outside hitter is leading the team in kills and has made the leaderboard almost every match in one or multiple areas whether that be blocking, service aces or kills. I think her pre-season performance has been eye-catching and she’s shown the potential to be a strong presence on the court for the Sun Devils in conference play.
CC: I’m going to keep an eye on junior outside hitter, Claire Kovensky, during Thursday’s match. Leading the team in digs (9) against Kansas in their last match, Kovensky has shown she can step up wherever her team needs her — which will be essential to Arizona State’s defensive performance. Along with digs, she has also been a consistent leader in aces and kills in the past eleven matches. I think if she plays to her potential on Thursday she will continue to lead the team and be an essential pin hitter for the Sun Devils.
JS: The player I will be watching most Thursday night will be Nicole Peterson. Peterson and the Sun Devils experienced two straight-set losses against the Arizona Wildcats last season, but Peterson experienced individual success. In her initial matchup with Arizona, Peterson collected 10 digs and 12 assists, second best for Arizona State on the night. Her success continued in the second matchup with the Wildcats as Peterson accumulated eight assists. Depending on Peterson’s playing time against Arizona — she was mostly relegated to serving during non-conference play — her performance may be a key indicator of ASU’s success at Wells Fargo Arena.
What will the Sun Devils record be in conference play?
VM: Since 2016, Arizona State has placed in the bottom two of the Pac-12 each season. A four-season slump is tough to get out of and succeeding would mean at least ranking above the bottom two. Their offense is something to be optimistic about although the defense isn’t too consistent, it varies from match to match (sometimes even set to set). Last season, the Sun Devils had a 5-15 record in conference play. I’m going to be optimistic and say that this year they will win five more matches and end the season with a conference record of 10-10, getting them out of the bottom two.
CC: I’m going to predict a 7-13 record during conference play this season. Two years ago, the Sun Devils went 0-20 during conference play and only slightly improved last season to 5-15, so I’m not placing too high of an expectation on this season. This team is very inconsistent from match to match, and although they have an 8-3 record so far, the non-conference matches aren’t an accurate indication of how conference play will actually go. ASU’s defense will need to step it up this season in order to bring back some stability and consistency to the team, and I just don’t see that happening during conference play.
JS: I believe the Sun Devils struggles from past seasons will continue in the 2019 campaign. Last season, Arizona State ended Pac-12 play with a 5-15 conference record, and I would lean toward a similar fate for the Devils this year. The Pac-12 Conference currently has six team ranked within the AVCA Top 25 Poll, including two other teams receiving votes by the committee. The Sun Devils will experience several challenging matchups against arguably the best volleyball conference in the nation. Facing at least eight of the country’s best clubs, I cannot see this current ASU roster collecting enough wins to compete with the top of the conference. I expect the Devils to finish Pac-12 play with a 6-14 conference record, finishing 2019 with their fourth consecutive losing season.
