Sun Devil volleyball wraps up home slate with decisive loss to Trojans

November 27, 2019

Sun Devil volleyball wraps up home slate with decisive loss to Trojans

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State women’s volleyball team could not sustain a 2-1 lead and concluded its home schedule with a five-set loss to USC on Wednesday to fall  to 16-13 and 8-10 in the Pacific-12 Conference.

ASU loses to USC falling to 16-13 and 8-10 in Pac-12 play 

The Trojans (16-12, 10-8 Pac-12) captured the opening set, 25-19, although the Sun Devils did rally back to make the ending more interesting. ASU saved three set points in winning the second, 30-28, and each team faulted on a potentially-winning serve. The momentum carried into the third set, with the Sun Devils leading throughout and opening up a 25-20 victory. It was the opposite in the fourth, with USC jumping on a 15-5 lead and another 25-19 win. USC continued to take charge and posted an 8-3 advantage as the teams changed sides, before running away with a 15-5 fifth and deciding set.

“It’s a tough way to end the season at home, not the way we wanted to perform,” ASU coach Sanja Tomasevic said. “It’s like working through the weaknesses and getting mentally tougher too. My hope is to continue improving. We have room to improve, you can tell from this match. I haven’t seen them this sad after a match in a long time.”

This was Tomasevic’s third season with the program, improving from 10-22, (0-20 Pac-12) to 14-18 and 5-15 in 2018 and now over .500 and on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. She added that a win over a top-50 team like USC would have really helped her team’s chances. The Sun Devils collected two wins over a ranked Washington State team, most recently at home on Nov. 21, likely their two biggest wins of the season.

Khalia Lanier, the former National High School Player of the Year at Scottsdale’s Xavier Prep and the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier, was stellar for USC on Wednesday with 33 kills.

“We knew her tendencies,” Tomasevic said of Lanier, “but she’s a great player and blocks shots. She was hitting deeper and harder. She’s not afraid to take big swings. I’m glad I’m not going to be watching her from the opposing side anymore.”

Ivana Jeremic led the Sun Devils with 16 kills in her final match at Desert Financial Arena, with Andrea Mitrovic adding 15 and Jada Burse 11. The Sun Devils have one more match, at Arizona at noon on Saturday and won the previous match with the Wildcats in Tempe in September, 3-0.