The ASU volleyball team put a scare in two top-25 teams this weekend in Los Angeles, but returned home with two losses.
The Sun Devils fell to No. 19 USC and No. 21 UCLA in two close, hard-fought matches. Their Pac-10 slide continues and has now reached eight straight games.
ASU (6-13, 1-8) took UCLA to four games Saturday night losing 30-23, 33-31, 17-30 and 30-23 at Pauley Pavilion to complete the first of two trips through the Pac-10.
UCLA improved to 11-7 overall and 4-5 in the Pac-10.
After dropping the first set, the Sun Devils kept pace with the Bruins throughout the second game, which included 12 ties. Knotted at 31, UCLA finished off the set on a Katie Carter kill and Jordan Smith service ace.
ASU regrouped and dominated the third game, jumping out to a 15-6 lead and never looking back. But the fourth game went back and forth, featuring 15 ties and eight lead changes. With the set deadlocked at 18, the Bruins went on an 8-0 run to pull away and close out the match.
Four Sun Devils recorded double figures in kills, led by junior outside hitter Nicole Morton's 15. Senior setter Giovana Melo added 38 assists and a career-high 19 digs.
USC (10-7, 5-3) swept the Sun Devils on Friday 30-28, 30-22 and 31-29. ASU built a 15-8 lead in the third game and was clinging to a 25-23 advantage until USC senior middle blocker Bibiana Candelas showed why she is an All-American.
Candelas scored USC's next five points on three kills, a service ace and a solo block to put USC in the driver's seat.
Morton led the way for the Sun Devils with 17 kills. Sophomore libero Sydney Donahue totaled 26 digs in the three games to anchor the defense.
The Sun Devils are back home this week where they are 4-4 on the season. They will attempt to exact revenge against Washington State Thursday night for a loss earlier in the season.
Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.
