TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State volleyball team battled through four sets against Utah on Friday night but was defeated 3-1 in set scores of 25-21, 19-25, 17-25, 24-26.
After Utah started strong in the opener, the Sun Devils used a 9-2 run to gain their first lead while the Utes burned a timeout at 9-5. The Utes responded with a rally of their own, closing the gap at 15-14, only later to see both teams combine for six straight errors to make it 20-18 in favor of ASU. The Sun Devils finished the set 25-21, swinging .300 with the help of Whitney Follette’s six kills.
ASU started hot in the second set, taking a 7-4 lead, but Utah battled back on five consecutive points to take a 7-9 lead. ASU remained behind but, with a trio of kills by Erica Wilson, closed the gap at 15-18. Utah didn't relinquish its lead the rest of the way, though, tying the match at one set apiece with a 19-25 set win.
Similar to the previous frame, Utah worked itself into a marginal lead at 5-9 in the third and used ASU miscues to keep the momentum and the advantage up to the Sun Devils’ timeout at 8-15. Arizona State forced Utah into a timeout at 16-21 after a kill by Wilson and blocks by Alexis Pinson, Nora Tuioti-Mariner and Macey Gardner cut back the Utes lead. Utah claimed the stanza 17-25 and took a 2-1 set lead heading into the fourth.
The Sun Devils played with a sense of urgency in the fourth to battle for a handful of advantages through seven ties. A triple threat of Wilson, Follette and Tuioti-Mariner allowed for a four-point streak that made it 14-11, but Utah answered to take the lead at 14-15. ASU saw its lead cut from three at 20-17 and then to one at 22-21, and a final surge from Utah pushed the Utes ahead for the 24-26 win and the match.
