TEMPE, Ariz. – California volleyball’s first Pac-12 rematch of the season did not go as it had hoped, with No. 21 Arizona State posting its 14th sweep of the season to bring the Golden Bears to 14-8 (3-8 Pac-12) on the year.
Both teams relied on staunch defense throughout the first two sets, with the Sun Devils (20-3, 8-3 Pac-12) hitting .152 twice to Cal’s .114 and .029. The home team bounced back in the third, however, finding the floor at a .480 clip as the Bears hit -.103. In total, Cal was held to its lowest hitting percentage of the season (.028).
The Bears quickly found themselves in a four-point hole to start the match and were unable to catch up despite sophomore Sophie Scott posting four of her five kills and two of her team-leading five blocks in the first set. Down by seven (4-11), a series that involved three kills from freshman Maggie Li cut the difference to just two at 12-14, triggering an Arizona State timeout; although Cal kept it fairly close throughout the rest of the set, the Sun Devils were able to maintain their lead and eventually clinch it at 25-20.
Two kills and an ace from Li, as well as two additional blocks from Scott (with help from redshirt sophomore Ava Mehrten) helped power a five-point early advantage for Cal in the second set, but four blocks and two service aces by the Sun Devils allowed them to eventually tie up the score at seven apiece. Soon afterward, Arizona State went on a 6-0 run that included four straight kills, reversing Cal’s…
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