In the midst of a six-match losing streak, the ASU volleyball team will try to save its season today in Los Angeles.
The Sun Devils (6-11, 1-6) plummeted rapidly in the Pac-10 standings after being swept at home in each of their last three matches, all against ranked opponents.
"We need to get back into the rhythm we had at the beginning of the season," freshman outside hitter Margie Giordano said. "Once we do that we'll feel a lot better and our chemistry will click."
ASU is 0-8 against top-25 opponents this season and will see two wins this weekend in No. 19 USC tonight and No. 21 UCLA Saturday.
USC (8-7, 4-3) is a traditional volleyball powerhouse and has won two of the last four national championships.
But they have struggled at times this year.
"We used to think USC was untouchable, but they're not," ASU coach Brad Saindon said. "All of a sudden they're human like everybody else."
USC slipped 12 places in the national rankings since the beginning of the season, but has had a recent surge, winning four of its last five matches.
The Bruins (10-6, 3-4) split a pair of matches with the Washington schools last weekend.
"[USC and UCLA] are not as strong as in years past," Saindon said. "They graduated a lot of their key players, so it's a great opportunity for us to go out on the road and get a couple wins."
Reach the reporter at derrik.miller@asu.edu.
