LOS ANGELES -- The Arizona State volleyball was swept 3-0 by sixth-ranked UCLA with set scores of 22-25, 13-25 and 15-25 on Friday night.
ASU dropped to 13-5 overall and 2-3 in the Pac-12. The Bruins improved to 11-3 on the year and 3-2 in conference.
Erica Wilson posted a team-best 12 kills, Macey Gardner added eight and Alexis Pinson tallied six of her own.
Opening with strong kills from Gardner and Whitney Follette, the Sun Devils led the opening set 4-1. The Bruins rallied shortly thereafter to tie it at 4-4 and then take their first lead at 8-5 on a four-point run. ASU closed the gap to one point at 11-10 after Mercedes Binns teamed up with Wilson and Follette for a pair of timely block assists.
A three-point spurt by ASU then tied it at 14-14, and six more ties ensued before UCLA was able to pull away for the 25-22 set win.
Working from behind in the second set, the Sun Devils called both of their timeouts by the 12-2 mark. Using a 5-2 spree, Arizona State was able to cut the deficit to 14-7 with attacks from Gardner, Nora Tuioti-Mariner and Pinson. UCLA made quick work of the remaining portion of the frame, going up 2-0 with a set score of 25-13. Despite the Devils tallying 11 kills to UCLA’s 12, a .103 attack percentage proved costly.
The third stanza look reminiscent of the first, with several ties in the opening points. After the score teeter-tottered for a bit, UCLA forced the ASU into a timeout at 9-5. Pinson was able to record a pair of kills to cut the margin to 14-9, but ASU was backed into its second timeout two points later at 16-9.
Behind the serve of Pinson, ASU was able to garner five straight points to cut UCLA’s lead to four at 18-14, but the rally was cut short as the Bruins pulled away for a 25-15 set win and match sweep.
