TEMPE, Ariz. - Sun Devil Volleyball will embark on the 2022 season this weekend at the Webb-Burbridge Classic with games on Friday and Saturday at Desert Financial Arena.
How to Watch
The tournament, which is named after a pair of Sun Devil hall of famers, is the only chance for fans to catch the squad at home during non-conference play. The tournament will honor all alumni as many will be in attendance, which includes CSU Bakersfield's head coach Giovana Melo. After this weekend, ASU will be on the road for five weeks before finally returning home on October 7. Arizona State's Friday matches are at 11 a.m. MST against CSU Bakersfield and 7:30 p.m. MST against Northern Iowa. The last match of the tournament is against Toledo on Saturday at 3 p.m. MST.
Arizona State's Friday matches will be on the ASU Live Stream, while ASU vs. Toledo will be on the Pac-12 Network. The three neutral-site matches will not be streamed. Live scoring will be available for the whole tournament. Tickets are available here. For more updates, follow along on Twitter (@SunDevilVB) and on Instagram (@sundevilvolleyball).
Sun Devil Outlook
Arizona State (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
Opponent Outlook
CSU Bakersfield
How to Watch
The tournament, which is named after a pair of Sun Devil hall of famers, is the only chance for fans to catch the squad at home during non-conference play. The tournament will honor all alumni as many will be in attendance, which includes CSU Bakersfield's head coach Giovana Melo. After this weekend, ASU will be on the road for five weeks before finally returning home on October 7. Arizona State's Friday matches are at 11 a.m. MST against CSU Bakersfield and 7:30 p.m. MST against Northern Iowa. The last match of the tournament is against Toledo on Saturday at 3 p.m. MST.
Arizona State's Friday matches will be on the ASU Live Stream, while ASU vs. Toledo will be on the Pac-12 Network. The three neutral-site matches will not be streamed. Live scoring will be available for the whole tournament. Tickets are available here. For more updates, follow along on Twitter (@SunDevilVB) and on Instagram (@sundevilvolleyball).
Sun Devil Outlook
Arizona State (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
- This will be the first of four non-conference tournaments for Sun Devil Volleyball, and the only one to take place in Tempe. Following this tournament, ASU will hit the road for five-straight weekends.
- Sun Devil Volleyball went 14-17 (7-13 Pac-12) in 2021, finishing ninth in the conference. The roster features eight returning Sun Devil starters. Last season, the team beat three ranked opponents over the course of a five-match win streak, during Pac-12 play.
- After a stellar 2021, Isanovic is gearing up for a monumental senior season. In 2021, Isanovic led the team in kills (490), service aces (34) and solo blocks (20) for the second season in a row. With 490 total kills last season, she is 10th for total kills in a single season in program history. At the end of the regular season, she ranked fifth in the country for total attacks, 13th for total kills and 14th in total points. She was named to the 2021 All-Pac-12 Team for her efforts, as well as being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
- Junior setter Ella Snyder was a stand-out in 2021. Dishing out 1,029 assists this season, she had the most assists in a single season since 2016. Additionally, Snyder is tied 10th for the number of double-doubles in a single season in the rally-scoring era for the Sun Devils with 13. She had 10 matches with 40+ assists and reached 51 assists twice, her career high.
- In addition to Isanovic, three other Sun Devils reached triple figures in total kills last season. Marta Levinska had 359, Claire Jeter had 261 and Geli Cyr had 135. Levinska was named to the All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention list.
- Senior libero Annika Larson-Nummer returns with 760 career digs under her belt. She led the team last season with 373 and was top 15 in the Pac-12 in total digs. At the net, junior Claire Jeter made a name for herself last year. She led the team in total blocks with 115, the only Sun Devil to reach triple figures in that category.
Opponent Outlook
CSU Bakersfield
- CSU Bakersfield's 2021 overall record was 18-11 for a 62.1 winning percentage, the highest in Giovana Melo's tenure as head coach.
- The Roadrunners' 2021 season was led by key returners senior Hayley McCluskey, senior Paige Calvin and redshirt junior Hana Makonova. Each led the team in a category with McCluskey in kills, Calvin in digs and Makonova in blocks.
- ASU last played the Roadrunners in 2017 at a neutral location with the Sun Devils winning 3-0.
- Northern Iowa brought in a 12-19 (7-11 Missouri Valley) record in the 2021 season. In the MVC preseason poll, UNI was given a sixth-place ranking.
- In 2021 Junior Emily Holterhaus led the Panthers in kills while Senior Carly Spies led the team in blocks making their return to the court in 2022 highly anticipated.
- ASU is 2-0 against UNI all-time, however the programs haven't met since 1996.
- The Rockets held a 6-14 record in their 2021 season.
- Returning Junior Taylor Alt led Toledo's 2021 team in kills. Another key returner is senior Olivia Vance, who led the team in blocks last season.
- The Sun Devils and Rockets have met just once in their histories, with Toledo coming away with the win in 2004.