LOS ANGELES -- Arizona State volleyball got past Loyola Marymount 3-1 in the final match of the UCI/LMU Dual Classic on Saturday afternoon. With a match score of 25-27, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18, the Sun Devils improved to a 6-0, their best start since 1997.
After dropping the first set 25-27, ASU rallied to take the second to take the frame 25-23. Trailing until the 22-22 mark, timely blocks helped the Sun Devils come back to tie it 1-1 heading into the break. Déjà vu was in store for the third, as ASU trailed throughout before overcoming to take it 25-21. In the fourth, momentum carried the Devils, who never relinquished the lead to take the set 25-18 and match 3-1.
Using one of its youngest starting lineups yet this year, Arizona State opened the match with back-to-back kills from Macey Gardner and Whitney Follette. Though the Devils led early, they trailed for 11 points until a soft kill by Erica Wilson caught the Lions off guard and allowed the maroon and gold to tie it 16-all just one point later.
A pair of ASU blocks and a kill by Gardner brought things back even at 21-21, and three ties ensued over the final handful of points before the Lions tallied the final two kills from Kathleen Luft to take the set 25-27.
The Lions took control early in the second set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead and forcing the Sun Devils into a timeout. Nora Tuioti-Mariner helped ASU rally with two kills to cut the deficit to 16-13, and behind a kill from Alexis Pinson and consecutive service aces by Allison Palmer, the Devils forced the Lions to take a timeout at 21-19.
Timely block assists by Gardner and Pinson followed by Pinson and Tuioti-Mariner made it 22-all. Gardner then threw down a kill to allow ASU its first lead, 23-22. and a final block assist by Gardner and Pinson was all the Devils needed to capture the set 25-23.
LMU answered in the third, opening the frame by taking a 12-6 lead. Behind Pinson’s defense and pair of kills, ASU was able to rally back to within 17-14. Pinson tallied three of her 10 blocks on the day in the third frame.
Wilson was lights-out after Gardner tied it 18-18, tallying three kills in the home stretch to carry ASU through to a 25-21 win.
ASU found breathing room in the fourth set, taking a 7-3 lead. After the Devils extended the margin to 17-11, LMU’s head coach received a yellow card after a long rally. A .429 hitting percentage accounted for ASU’s romp in the final set, as the Devils closed out the match with a 25-18 set win.
