Aug. 27, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State University volleyball team kicked off the 2011 campaign with a 3-0 sweep of Denver on Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena.
ASU chalked up its first win of the season after taking three-straight sets over the Pioneers 25-14, 25-12 and 25-23. Top kill leader Ashley Kastl rang in a team-best 12 as Nora Tuioti-Mariner and Erica Wilson had nine apiece.
In the first stanza, the Sun Devils opened the night with a 25-14 mark – led by four kills from Kastl. After taking a 7-5 lead ASU made quick work of the rest of the frame with aid from Sarah McGaffin’s seven assists, who would go on to finish the night with 31.
Set two saw ASU hitting at a .500 clip with McGaffin adding an additional 12 assists to her tally and Kastl putting up another five kills to give her nine through two sets. The Sun Devils did not relinquish its lead after the sets only tie at 1-1 and secured a safety net early on - never dropping below a six-point cushion after the 14-8 mark en route to the 25-12 score.
Denver kept it a close 5-5 in the opening points of the final frame after a nip and tuck start. The Sun Devils fell behind 10-5, but a timeout jumpstarted a five-point run with a block assist from Tuioti-Mariner and Alexis Pinson, tying the set at 10-10.
The deciding set went on to tie five additional times but it was ASU who took control at 21-20. Another block from Tuioti-Mariner and Erica Wilson followed by a kill from Danica Mendivil gave the squad enough to hold on for the eventual 25-23 clincher.
Denver’s Faimie Kingsley had a team-best nine kills as Julia Cawthra nabbed 27 assists on the night.
The Sun Devils (1-0) will resume the Sheraton Classic on Saturday with a noon contest against Milwaukee (1-0) and close out the weekend versus San Jose State (0-1) in a 7:30 nightcap. A presentation of the All-Tournament Team will take place at the conclusion of the final game.