Entering the weekend, ASU defense had held opponents to the lowest hitting percentage in the Pac-12. The middle blockers are among the top blockers in the conference.
ASU has strong outside hitters. Junior outside hitters BreElle Bailey and Kizzy Ricedorff have been solid options, and Cassidy Pickrell has been steadily improving her hitting percentage.
However, with star senior outside hitter Macey Gardner out with a knee injury, those stats proved meaningless. No. 5 ASU was swept by Washington State (14-25, 17-25, 21-25).
ASU hit .055 on the match. WSU hit .286.
Ricedorff sat for undisclosed reasons.
"It's an emotional weekend for our team," head coach Jason Watson said. "The rigors of going on the road, coupled with the need to change our lineup, made it difficult."
ASU began the match playing in a 5-1 system with senior middle blocker Andi Lowrance starting for Gardner. It was largely ineffective.
WSU’s net defense altered the majority of the hits. Lowrance finished the set with one kill and two errors on 10 attempts, and Pickrell had three kills and four errors on 10 attempts.
After starting the set tied at seven, ASU was only able to muster seven more points as WSU ran away with the set, 25-14.
Defensively, ASU struggled. It only had one block in the set and WSU hit .394 against them. Junior outside hitter Kyra Holt hit with power, particularly from the back row, and freshman middle blocker Taylor Mims had a strong quick attack.
It prompted a switch in ASU’s game plan. Watson switched his team back to a 6-2 formation, but the team was forced to use unique lineups without two of its typically outside hitters.
Three freshmen played at different times during the set.
Freshman outside hitter Lexi MacLean got the start in the second set, seeing her first action of the season. She accumulating three kills and just one error in the set. MacLean may have been the bright spot for ASU, hitting with power and displaying confidence.
She finished the match with eight kills and ten digs.
Libero Blair Robalin entered early in set two and had little impact. Middle blocker Jasmine Koonts had no kills and two errors in the two sets she played.
Pickrell was more effective in the second set, hitting five kills and just one error, but ASU was unable to contain Sophomore outside hitter Casey Schoenlein. At the end of the set, she had six kills and one error, good for a .416 hitting percentage.
ASU adjusted to Schoenlein in the third set, not giving up a kill to her. Additionally, Pickrell continued her surge, picking up four more kills and only hitting one error.
WSU took a 7-1 lead early in the set. A late 9-4 ASU run cut the deficit to 21-22, but WSU closed with a 3-0 run.
This was WSU’s first win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 2013.
ASU will play at No. 1 USC and No. 12 UCLA next weekend.
"Each of us is eager to get back to Tempe and re-group," Watson said. "I've always been impressed with the resilience of this team."
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow @Logan_Newsman on Twitter.
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