Volleyball Drops 3-2 Decision to Arizona State at Michigan/adidas Invitational

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Margie Giordano and Sarah Reaves both recorded double-doubles of the kill-dig variety to lead Arizona State to a 3-2 victory over UAlbany in non-conference volleyball action at the Michigan/adidas Invitational, held at Cliff Keen Arena on Friday afternoon. The Sun Devils were able to hold off a UAlbany rally, defeating the Great Danes by scores of 25-14 and 25-19 in the first two sets, before UAlbany posted wins of 25-8 and 25-22 in sets three and four to send the match to a fifth-set tiebreaker. Arizona State held off the Great Danes, winning 15-10 in the deciding set.

Arizona State took charge early in the first state, as Ashley Kelty served for seven straight points to put the Sun Devils up 11-4 in the early going. UAlbany was unable to get the offense in motion, as Arizona State cruised to a 25-14 first set victory, ended with a block assist by Sonja Markanovich and Paige Mittelstaedt.

The Sun Devils jumped out to an early lead in the second set as well, once again behind the service game of Kelty, who served three straight points to give Arizona State a 4-10 advantage. Amanda Cowdrey followed a block assist by Hillary White and Cate Eckhardt to pull the Great Danes within five points, 21-16, but Sara Todorovich put the game back in Arizona State’s favor with a kill. After a kill by setter Brooke Stanley got UAlbany to 24-19, a Great Dane service error sealed the set for the Sun Devils.

UAlbany came out firing in the third set, as White converted her first serve for an ace. Cowdrey recorded back-to-back kills to put the Great Danes up 7-3 in the early going, while Stanley tallied two service aces to give UAlbany a 12-4 advantage. White served for seven straight points later in the set, putting the Great Danes up, 23-6. Cowdrey took an assist from Stanley to slam the final kill in the set and put UAlbany back in the match.

The fourth set swung back and forth between the two teams, with neither getting up more than three points for the duration of play. Stanley put the Great Danes on top late in the set, serving four straight points, which included back-to-back solo blocks by Valerie Sourbeer, giving UAlbany a 21-18 lead. The teams exchanged kills in the late going, with Cowdrey again putting away the final point to send the match to the tiebreaking set.

Consecutive block assists by Kamisha Kellam and Stanley put UAlbany ahead, 4-3, early in the set. Marina Mercer put Arizona State on top, 6-4, before a Sun Devil service error and a Sourbeer kill tied the set at 6-6. Giordano recorded one of her match-high 20 kills to put Arizona State up, 11-9, but Kelty recorded a service error to put the ball back in UAlbany’s hands. Giordano served for the final three points, as Todorovich and Mercer combined for a block to end the set on a Great Dane attack error.



Reaves finished with 19 kills and 15 digs for Arizona State, while Giordano completed her double-double with 12 digs. Sarah Johnson led the Sun Devils defensively with 22 digs, while Todorovich and Markanovich finished with five blocks apiece. Mercer recorded 58 assists for Arizona State (9-2).

Cowdrey recorded a team-high 19 kills for UAlbany, while Kellam added 13 kills and three total blocks. Stanley tallied a double-double with 45 assists and 12 digs, while libero Valerie Sourbeer had a team-high 17 digs. White, who chipped in with seven kills, had a team-high six total blocks.

UAlbany (4-6) will return to action at the tournament on Saturday, facing the host Wolverines, who are currently undefeated and ranked 25th in the nation, and Western Kentucky.

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Arizona State (9-2) def. UAlbany (4-6), 3-2 (25-14, 25-19, 8-25, 22-25, 15-10).