MATCH STATS
- (RV) Colorado def. Arizona State 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 26-24)
- (RV) Colorado improves to 13-5 (3-4, Pac-12); Arizona State falls to 10-9 (0-7, Pac-12)
- Tempe, Arizona (Pac-12 Match)
- Attendance: 1,079
- Box Score
Tempe, Arizona – Anytime you go on the road in the difficult Pac-12 and get a win, that is a huge success. That’s exactly what (RV) Colorado was able to do as they swept Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona.
Colorado would hit .250 for the match compared to a .168 clip from Arizona State as the Buffaloes slightly won the block (8-7) and ace (3-2) columns.
Frankie Shebby (11 kills, eight digs) and Anna Pfefferle (eight kills, .500) led the offense for Colorado while a trio of athletes recorded double-digit digs. Brynna DeLuzio was one of those, as she notched a double-double with 37 assists and 11 digs.
In the losing effort, Oluoma Okaro posted huge totals of 18 kills while hitting .333 and 10 digs. However, she couldn’t find the supporting cast as no one else had more than five kills, although Halle Harker did total 19 digs in the back.
After winning the opening set 25-21, the Buffaloes stifled the Arizona State offense to a negative hitting percentage in set two. That was the most lopsided game at 25-16, giving Colorado a 2-0 lead. Juxtaposing the second was the third, where it was tighter than ever as both teams hit over .300 in the final frame, with Colorado squeaking ahead 26-24.
Next up, Colorado stays in the state to take on Arizona on Sunday while Arizona State matches up at home with #11 Utah tomorrow as well.
PRESS RELEASES:
TEMPE, Ariz. — Colorado improved to 13-5 on the season (3-4 Pac-12) on Friday night with a sweep of Arizona State. Set scores were 25-21, 25-16, 26-24.
The loss moves ASU to 10-9 overall as well as 0-7 in Pac-12 play.
WHAT HAPPENED: It was an all-around team win, with six players recording at least two kills. For the second straight match, Frankie Shebby led the Buffs in kills, this time recording 11. Anna Pfefferle was next on the team with eight kills and also hit .500 with just one error on 14 attacks.
Alexa Smith and Naghede Abu each tallied seven kills. Abu recorded a match-best .636 hitting percentage with no errors on 11 swings. Joslyn Hayes got into the action with six kills and Justine Spann added another two. Brynna DeLuzio handed out 37 assists in the win while directing CU to a team .250 hitting efficiency.
The Buffs didn’t just do well offensively, but their defense was spread out as well. Smith led the team with 12 digs, while DeLuzio and Gabby Carta-Samuels each tallied 11 digs. Shebby added eight digs and Spann picked up seven. At the net, Abu posted four blocks, one solo and three assists, while Smith and Hayes each put up three.
The Sun Devils were led by Oluoma Okaro, who recorded a match-best 18 kills while hitting .333. She also added 10 digs for a double-double, as well as three blocks. Halle Harker picked up 19 digs, a match-high, on defense for ASU.
SET 1: Colorado opened up the match with an 11-6 lead, but the Sun Devils rallied back to even the match at 14-14 near the midway point. The set was tied four more times before the Buffs took a two-point lead at 20-18, forcing ASU to take a timeout. CU tacked on three straight points out of the break, including a pair of blocks, to go up 23-18. ASU couldn’t stop the Buffs as they went on to take the set 25-21.
SET 2: The Buffs took a 15-12 lead into the media timeout after Spann served up a pair of aces. CU took the next two points off a kill from Abu and a block by Smith and Abu for a five-point lead (17-12). The Buffs increased their advantage to 19-13 before ASU needed to take a timeout. After another ASU attack error, CU’s lead was 20-13. The Sun Devils took their final timeout after the Buffs increased their lead to 22-15. CU finished the frame with a 3-1 run (25-16).
SET 3: CU took a 7-4 lead to start the third game. ASU got back within a point at 12-11, but then the Buffs used a three-point run to bring the score to 15-11. After a media timeout, ASU sided-out with a kill, but then served up an error to give possession back to CU (16-12). The Sun Devils were not backing down and rallied back to even the game at 19-19, causing CU to take a timeout. The Buffs recorded a pair of kills from Shebby and Pfefferle to go back up (21-19), and this time it was ASU that needed a timeout. The two teams continued to battle and ASU was able to come back again, tying the set up at 24-24. After a much needed CU timeout, the Buffs finished the set, and the match, with a pair of kills from Shebby.
NOTES: CU has won three of the last five meetings between the two teams…The Buffs are 7-4 in matches away from Boulder and are 6-2 in three-set matches this season…The last sweep for the Buffs happened against Albany on Sept. 16, 2017…The last time CU swept a Pac-12 opponent was Nov. 6, 2016 when the Buffs took down California, 25-15, 25-19, 25-19…Brynna DeLuzio recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 37 assists and 11 digs.
TEAM STATISTICS: CU hit .250 in the match with 42 kills and 11 errors on 124 attacks, while ASU hit .168 with 38 kills and 18 errors on 119 swings. The Buffs also had the edge in aces, serving up three to ASU’s two. CU also led in blocks (8.0-7.0), but the Sun Devils led the match in digs (62-56).
NEXT UP: The Buffs head to Tucson, Ariz. to finish a four-match road trip against the Arizona Wildcats on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. MT.
QUOTES:
Head coach Jesse Mahoney
On the goals coming into the match
“We came into this match serving a little tougher, which is why we had so many errors, but I think we did a nice job getting them (ASU) out of system. When they were in one option, we point scored really well.”
On the offense
“Brynna does such a nice job. She mixes it up and sets with great location. She’s a big part of why we are successful.”
On what is next
Arizona is a really big, physical team. They’ve been a little up and down, but they just swept USC [last weekend]. We are going to recover tonight, get something to eat and sleep in. Then we will look at Arizona.”
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State volleyball team (10-9, 0-7 Pac-12) fell to the Colorado Buffaloes (13-5, 3-4 Pac-12), 21-25, 16-25 and 24-26 on Friday evening in Wells Fargo Arena.
Senior Oluoma Okaro led the Sun Devils in kills after putting together another strong performance, finishing the night with 18 kills while hitting at a .333 clip. Okaro got it done defensively as well, notching her seventh double-double of the season thanks to her 10 digs. Okaro was effective in all facets of the game tonight, collecting three total blocks.
Freshman Shelbie Dobmeier matched Okaro’s double-double with one of her own, marking her third career double-double. The young setter tallied 22 assists to go along with a career-high 13 digs.
The Sun Devils finished with seven total blocks as a team, led by junior Carmen Unzue, who added two solo blocks and three block assists coming off a career-high six total blocks in the previous match.
Freshman Griere Hughes contributed eight kills and sophomore Nicole Peterson reached the double-digit mark with ten assists on the night.
Senior Halle Harker recorded 19 digs on the match, bringing her total to 1768 career digs. Her career total remains the third-best in school history.
Colorado featured a balanced attack, with five Buffaloes reaching the six-kill plateau, led by Frankie Shebby who finished with 11. Freshman Brynna Deluzio compiled 37 assists in the victory.
Up next, the Sun Devils stay home to continue Pac-12 play against the No. 13 Utah Utes (15-3, 6-1 Pac-12) on Sunday, October 15th at 1 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcasted live on the Pac-12 Network as Kate Scott and Dain Blanton are on the call.
Match Notes
Kills: Okaro (18), Hughes (8)
Attacking Percentage: Okaro (.333; 18 K, 4 E, 42 TA)
Double-Doubles: Okaro (7th, 18 kills & 10 digs), Dobmeier (3rd, 22 assists & 13 digs)
Assists: Dobmeier (22), Peterson (10)
Digs: Harker (19), Dobmeier (13), Okaro (10)
ASU Career Digs Leaders
1. Sydney Donahue, 2004-07 – 2385
2. Stephanie Preach, 2010-13 – 2010
3. Halle Harker, 2014-present – 1768
4. Christy Nore, 1985-88 – 1597
5. Jami Coughlin, 1998-2001 – 1528
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