TEMPE, Ariz. - The 14th-ranked Arizona volleyball team gave seventh-ranked ASU all it could handle, but fell short in four sets in the Pac-12 opener (26-28, 25-12, 20-25, 21-25).
A career effort from Kalei Mau (27 kills, .258 hitting) and a double-double from Penina Snuka (59 assists, 11 digs) were not enough as the Cats were unable to pull the upset against the undefeated Sun Devils in front of 5,152 fans in Wells Fargo Arena.
The Wildcats hit an impressive .263 in the match against the Pac-12 leaders in opponent hitting percentage (.093 entering the match). UA outhit the home team .263 to .242 in the match.
The Cats also outdug (64-55) and outblocked (10-8) ASU, but the Sun Devils prevailed in the only statistic that mattered, the score.
Not converting on a pair of set points in the first set proved to be crucial, as the Devils won the first-set marathon 28-26.
UA responded in resounding fashion with its most decisive set victory over a top-10 team since the scoring changed to first-to-25 in 2008 with a 25-12 second set win.
Both the third and fourth sets were hard fought, but ASU asserted itself at the end, winning the fourth and fifth 25-20 and 25-21, respectively.
What looked to be a one-sided affair early turned into a nail-biting first set. ASU led the majority of the way in the first set, until a late 3-0 run evened the frame at 22 apiece. The Wildcats went on to earn set points at 24-23 and 26-25, but squandered both as the Sun Devils scored the set's final three points to win the opening frame 28-26.
The second set lacked the drama of the first set as the Cats dominated the Devils to the tune of 25-12, the most decisive set victory over a top-10 opponent since scoring changed to first-to-25 in 2008. Arizona hit a remarkable .515 in the set against the Pac-12 leaders in opponent hitting percentage.
Arizona State was the team fast out of the gates in the third, taking an early 7-4 lead to cause Rubio to use his first timeout. Arizona fought back to tie ASU at 12 before taking a one-point advantage. The teams traded points until a 3-0 ASU run put the Devils up for good. The Sun Devils went on to win the set 25-20.
The Wildcats ran out of gas in the fourth, falling 25-21 in a hard-fought frame.
Up Next: ESPNU will be in town to televise another top-20 matchup when Arizona hosts No. 18 Oregon on Sun., Sept. 27 at 2:00 p.m. PDT.
Follow Arizona Volleyball: For further coverage of Arizona volleyball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts (@ArizonaVBall).
