ASU volleyball dropped a four-set match to rival Arizona in Tucson on Wednesday by a score of 22-25, 25-19, 23-25, 18-25 to open Pac-12 play.
Junior middle blocker Oluoma Okaro had a career high 10 blocks along with 8 kills.
"I think it's a testament to our staff giving her a good call," ASU head coach Stevie Mussie said of Okaro. "She's been making great moves and that was something she wanted to get better at this week. I can definitely say that was an impressive outing from her."
The Sun Devils (7-6, 0-1 Pac-12) won the blocking battle 14.5 to 12.0.
With a shorthanded roster, coach Mussie switched the Sun Devils' attack in the second set from a 6-2 to a 5-1.
"We're a little short on humans so we gotta stick with it and Kylie (Pickrell) is doing a great job," Mussie said. "So as long as she keeps doing that we'll be alright."
Pickrell, a sophomore setter, finished the match with 7 digs and 31 assists. Senior outside hitter Cassidy Pickrell, her older sister, added 20 kills on .260 attacking and 9 digs.
In addition for the Sun Devils, sophomore Jasmine Koonts tallied 9 kills while senior Maya McClendon contributed with 4 kills and 5 digs.
For the Wildcats (9-4, 1-0 Pac-12), leading the way was sophomore outside hitter Kendra Dahlke, who recorded a double-double with 22 kills on .295 attacking and 10 digs, while senior outside hitter Katarina Pilepic added 15 kills on .387 attacking.
Sophomore outside hitter Tyler Spriggs also put up double figure kills with 11 to go along with 6 digs.
Up next, ASU finishes up a 14-game road trip to start its season with a match at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24 against Utah in Salt Lake City.
Reach the reporter at jeff.sullivan@asu.edu or follow @jsullivansports on Twitter
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