No. 21 ASU women’s volleyball head coach Jason Watson said that the lineup needs to stay constant at this point in the season.
“We can continue to look at different lineups… and all of a sudden the season will be over and we still haven’t figured it out,” Watson said after the loss on Friday to Washington. “We’ve just gotta find something, go with it and roll with it.”
The Sun Devils rolled out the same lineups on Friday and Sunday.
The final change was alerting the starting rolls so three freshman wouldn’t be on the floor at once. Injuries forced Kylie Pickrell, Lexi MacLean and Jasmine Koonts to all play at the same time, and Watson did not like the result.
Before the injuries, the team was playing well. Watson said freshmen wanted time. Some were confused why they weren’t receiving any, if at all.
“They were asking when can I play,” Watson said. “I don’t think this was the experience they were asking for.”
“What you see off the court and then what you see on the court is so different,” she said. “You can see more off the court and then when you’re on the court, it’s real quick and fast paced.”
The starting roll is not a promotion for Koonts, nor a demotion for senior middle blocker Mercedes Binns; the change just sets Koonts with senior setter Bianca Arellano, and puts Binns with the freshman Pickrell.
MacLean is playing around the rotation and has to dig and pass more than ever in the past. She had her first career double-double on Sunday, notching 13 kills and 14 digs.
She said changes in her gameplay have all been mental.
“It’s all mental and confidence,” she said. “I’m very hard on myself, so on Sunday, if I made an error, I just sort of learned to let it go.”
Those two and Kylie will all play at least half the rotations this weekend against Colorado and Utah.
“This is a challenging weekend for us,” Watson said. “A pretty significant weekend too. If we can get a split or get both, then that’s great and much needed.”
That’s a different mindset than Watson had earlier this season, but one win would give ASU 19 on the year and make them closer to the magic number of 20 that almost confirms a spot in the NCAA tournament.
Winning one game this weekend is not much to ask for. A sweep could be a reasonable expectation from the coach, given that ASU swept the two earlier this season.
There’s a hesitation to his voice.
"We’ve never swept this trip,” he said. He repeated it twice before finishing. “Now would be an okay weekend to do that.”
A big reason is because of the thin air in Colorado and Utah. Watson said it effects passing and serving.
“The ball tends to sail a little bit longer,” he said.
Even in Arizona air, ASU has struggled at the service line. The Sun Devils had 18 total service errors last weekend.
Colorado is playing well and is a long-shot competitor for the NCAA tournament, currently holding a winning record and having defeated ranked Arizona and Stanford earlier this season.
Watson said ASU’s victory over them came down to the service line.
“We blocked well because I think we served well,” he said.
Utah no longer holds the distinction for sole last place in the conference — the Utes are now tied with Oregon State after beating both Oregon schools a week and a half ago.
Utah changed its game style. It now plays in a 6-2 rotation instead of one setter.
“They’re going to be more physical in all six rotating than they were before,” Watson said. “Utah’s a team that’s been known for their ability to block, that’s part of their character, and the 6-2 lends itself to that.”
Kizzy Ricedorff update
Junior outside hitter Kizzy Ricedorff attended the match in a wheelchair on Sunday afternoon. Koonts and Pickrell said they hadn’t seen her in weeks, and she had been hospitalized. Numbness in her hand stemmed from a pinched nerve around the back of her neck.
She was not at practice on Tuesday. It is presumed that she will be out for the remainder of the season.
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow @Logan_Newsman on Twitter.
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