CANYON, Texas – Despite setting several season records, the No. 8 ASU volleyball team lost its second match of the season in five sets (23-25, 25-19, 25-20, 27-25, 11-15) to West Texas A&M Saturday in Canyon.
With the loss, the Belles fall to 13-2 overall and 4-1 in the Lone Star Conference. The ASU offense fired in a season-high 74 total kills posting a .309 team clip for the match. The Lady Buffs improved to 7-5, 3-1 in the LSC with Saturday's win.
"Offensively, I thought we played well, but when we needed to make plays defensively we did not get it done," commented ASU Head Coach Chuck Waddington. "I was disappointed in our execution down the stretch and we need to have the ability to make adjustments as the match progresses. Hopefully we will learn from today's match."
Leading the attack against the Lady Buffs was Brianna Sotello, Mallory Blauser and Abbie Lynn. Both Sotello and Blauser recorded double-doubles for the afternoon. Sotello led the squad with a season-high 22 kills and tied her season high adding four service aces. On defense, the junior added 13 digs to her numbers and set another season high with three total blocks. Blauser was second on the team with 19 kills. This marked her 13th match this season with double-digit numbers in the kill department. The senior assisted the defense matching her season high with 15 digs for the afternoon. Lynn was the third Belle to drop in double-figure kills with a season most 16 kills. The right side hitter led the team with an outstanding .500 attack percentage.
Heading the Belles defense was libero Brooke Robertson as well as middle blockers Tulani Titley and Morgan Seaton. With 17 digs on the afternoon, Robertson achieved a new career high. Titley led ASU along the net as she blocked a career high total of seven balls. The freshman also assisted the Belles attack matching her career high eight kills for the third time this season. Seaton was second the team with four total blocks against the Lady Buffs.
Setter Meghan Parker served up a career high 61 assists for the day, topping her previous best by eight assist. The freshman also added a career high three kills along with an ace and a block assist to her total numbers for the season. She continues to lead the LSC in assists with a current total of 607.
The Belles started slow in the first set taking an early 12-5 lead. A kill by Titley would get ASU back on track and they would climb back to within three with the score moving to 20-17. An error by WTAMU followed by a pair of kills from Sotello and a kill from Robertson brought ASU back to even with the Lady Buffs at 21. However the Belles would be unable to pull ahead as WTAMU took the set win and the 1-0 lead.
The Lady Buffs came out swinging in the second set taking a 4-1 lead. The Belles rallied with kills from Lynn Blauser and Sotello along with a Seaton and Sotello block tied the score at six. The team continued its attack pulling ahead to a 15-10 lead, with key points from Titley, Parker and Blauser. ASU pieced together several small runs to maintain its lead. Lynn closed out the set in favor of the Belles firing in the final kill.
Continuing its momentum in the third set Parker dropped in an ace to give the Belles an early lead. A 7-3 run with big swings from by Seaton, Titley and Sotello along with two consecutive blocks would give ASU a 7-4 lead. The two teams continued on trading points, but the Lady Buffs would not take a lead in this set. With a 24-20 lead on the board, Lynn put the set away once again for the Belles with a finishing kill set up by Parker.
In the fourth set, ASU would take the early lead but West Texas A&M rallied and took over with a 7-6 lead. Down 10-12, a pair of Sotello kills, a Mallory Davidson service ace and Parker kill place ASU back in front with a 14-12 lead. The Belles would maintain the lead and it looked as if the team would close out the match, however, the Lady Buffs would force a fifth set scoring four of the final six points. WTAMU continued to come up with big points in the final set and would close out the match with a 15-11 final set score.
The Belles will return home on Saturday, October 1 to face Texas A&M – Kingsville at 2 p.m. in its only match of the week.
