Sun Devil volleyball began their season facing Butler, Lipscomb, and Cal Baptist in the LUV Invitational and ended on top with a 3-0 record to start the season.
During the team's first game of the invitational in Nashville, Tennessee, against the Butler Bulldogs, they started rocky with a loss in the first set 25-23 but found their rhythm again in the next three sets to win the match-up 3-1.
ASU came out stronger in their next two games against Lipscomb and CBU when they took them down by the broom to secure a promising weekend victory.
Senior outside hitter Geli Cyr and graduate middle blocker Claire Jeter had the biggest takeaways from the invitational. Cyr was awarded the LUV Invitational MVP and Jeter was named as a player on the all-tournament team. Their best games were against Butler as Cyr had a team-high of 15 kills along with a career-high of five aces. Jeter started the season on fire reaching a personal best with a .714 hitting percentage with 10 kills in the same match. Her hitting percentage is the fifth-best in University history since ASU began playing in a rally-scoring style.
"Geli finished last season on a tear and led this season off the same way," head coach JJ Van Niel said. "Claire, I believe has a very strong serve and she moved spots this season to be away from the setter and I believe that has helped her a lot too when it comes to her attacking."
Jeter also gave a lot of credit to some of her new teammates who have helped keep up the tradition of a fast-tempo offense that the Sun Devils spent all last year building. She complimented Washington State transfer Argentina Ung, the new setter, on her adjustment to ASU's style of play and having a big role in these victories.
"The energy was very good in these games," Ung said. "I can tell this team has a really strong volleyball IQ and that's something I love because I can trust them to make whatever shot they have when I set them up and keep a rally moving."
Ung made her debut against the Bulldogs, but she ended the weekend with a total of 97 assists, 20 digs, and eight kills.
When reflecting on the outcome of last year's season, the team said they stepped onto the court with a completely different outlook.
"This year we are more hunted," Van Niel said. "When we walk in I think teams really want to beat us. Last year we were a bit of an unknown and people didn’t take us that seriously with all the transfers and new people. It's gonna be challenging knowing teams are coming out to give it their best shot and we have to do the same."
During the offseason, All-American player Marta Levinska graduated and the team lost one of the most threatening players in the league. With the loss of her and other teammates, the team had to grind over the offseason to balance out the workload for all attacking players in-game and on their defense.
"Building off of last year we now have more of an open realm to use each hitter equally," Jeter said. "When we weren't playing our part (last year) we knew Levinska would play it for us. Not having her here, it's very much now 'I have to do my part and she has to do hers.'"
Jeter also said she doesn't want people to see last season as a fluke. She doesn't want the team to be underestimated because of what they gained compared to what they lost. She wants to see the same if not more success than last year.
ASU will continue working on its techniques moving forward to the next tournament hosted in San Diego this upcoming weekend to face UC Santa Barbara, San Diego and St. John's.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Alysa Horton and Madeline Schmitke.
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