The ASU volleyball team (9-3) defeated the University of Arizona in straight sets on Thursday night in their Pac-12 opener (25-20, 25-16, 25-19).
Junior outside hitter Claire Kovensky led the team with 14 kills, including six in the first set.
Senior outside hitter Ivana Jeremic also chipped in with 11 kills, while senior libero Courtney Leffel collected 17 digs in the match.
The Sun Devils took the first set in a back and forth affair, as neither team led by more than five.
ASU got off to a scorching start in the second set, jumping out to a 10-3 lead. The Sun Devils kept the momentum throughout the set, earning a nine-point win.
After a close third set to start, the Sun Devils pulled away via a rash of service errors from the Wildcats. Arizona totaled 12 in the match.
ASU's offense clicked on all cylinders, as the team hit 33 percent throughout the match, its highest of the year in a match and well above its season average of 21.7 percent.
“We finally just took ownership that this is our team and this is our offense,” senior setter Callie Jones said. “We’re clicking much better than we ever have."
Jeremic was a primary passing target for ASU to score. She held strong and passed well in the match, noting it was a point of emphasis for tonight’s game.
“Honestly I didn’t worry about my hitting at all today, because I was a passing target,” Jeremic said. “So, as long as I was passing good, I was doing fine. When I pass good, we can run our offense.”
Head coach Sanja Tomasevic noted the work Jeremic put in practice this past week to prepare for Arizona‘s game plan.
“We knew they were going to serve her. They were trying to break her. They were putting pressure on her,” Tomasevic said. “I’m super stoked for her to have that passing-hitting game she had tonight.”
The Sun Devils were able to use great defense to take away any momentum from the Wildcats when they had the ball. ASU posted a 75% sideout percentage and 46 digs in the match.
This was the team's first win in a Pac-12 opener since 2015.
ASU's next matchup will be at UCLA on Sept. 29 at 12 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at jhorst2@asu.edu and follow @HorseySeven on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
Jeffrey Horst is the digital editor-in-chief of The State Press. He previously served as the publication's sports editor and worked at Cronkite News and ArizonaSports.com.
