BERKELEY, Calif. -- The Arizona State volleyball team pulled out a 3-2 win over California on Sunday afternoon with set scores of 25-23, 23-25, 25-18, 13-25, 16-14.
Macey Gardner and Erica Wilson each recorded 23 kills while Allison Palmer tallied her second double-double of the weekend on 55 assists and 14 digs for the Sun Devils (15-10, 4-8 Pac-12).
Opening with a slow start in the first set, Arizona State trailed 2-10 before kills from Erica Wilson sparked an offensive run to cut the deficit in half at 7-14. On a five-point streak, the ASU forced Cal (11-11, 5-7 Pac-12) into a timeout at 10-14 before closing in at 16-18 via three unanswered kills.
A pair of attacks from Wilson tied it at 19-19 and saw California take its second timeout of the set with momentum swinging towards the maroon and gold. Using a pair of final kills from Macey Gardner, ASU finished the set 25-23.
The second frame opened with the teams trading points five times before Cal moved ahead by three, 6-9. Working from behind ASU came back at 12-13 before knotting it at 17-17 on a Whitney Follette ace. A timely block by Alexis Pinson, followed by a kill from the junior kept ASU in the game at 19-19 and 20-all. Picking up its first lead since 6-5, Arizona State went up 23-22 leading to a Cal timeout. The Golden Bears rallied for the final three points, 23-25, leveling the match at 1-1.
Battling for command of the scoreboard and moving ahead after 7-7, the Sun Devils stretched its largest lead of the day to seven, at 18-11. Holding on to the advantage, ASU used its .500 hitting clip to take the set 25-18. In the fourth, Arizona State struggled to halt the Cal offense which jumped to a 5-12 lead. The Golden Bears did not let up, taking the frame 25-13 despite a late rally by the Devils to force a fifth and deciding set.
Down 0-3 in the fifth, Arizona State worked swiftly to answer, tying it at 4-4. Behind the serve of Teslevich, the Sun Devils tied it and then proceeded to take an 8-7 lead. A brief spurt from Cal tied it at 11-11 but Arizona State continued to fight through three additional ties to come out with a 3-2 victory on a fifth-set 16-14 thriller.
