ASU facilities busy with extra athletic activity
Mark Gorski has known for months that weeks like this one were coming.
With Arizona State fall sports — except football — postponed until this semester because of the coronavirus pandemic, the work load during what already is ASU’s busiest time of the school year only would increase.
So even before baseball, softball and soccer start their seasons and with wrestling currently on hold due to COVID-19 protocol, ASU is hosting five events at Desert Financial Arena from Thursday-Saturday in addition to a tennis meet on Sunday.
rience we have on the Pac-12 level. It’s more mental focus. This is only our third game. It’s going to take a little bit of time. These are really good lessons, hopefully we’ll learn from them.”
Washington State ran away with the third set and led 12-8 in the fourth before ASU righted itself with an 8-0 run, three on Megan Beedie aces. At 23-all, Isanovic had consecutive kills to even the match at 2-2.
The fifth set was close throughout with the largest lead being 3-0 Cougars. ASU could not build on an 8-6 edge and held off one match point before Pia Timmer and Kalyah Williams closed out the win with kills.
Timmer and Julianna Dalton had 14 kills for Washington State with Williams and Magda Jehlarova adding 11.
“They ran the middle a lot,” Tomasevic said. “We were in the right spot but reaching up instead of low and over. That’s an adjustment we’ve got to make to block them. We’ve got to pass better and serve them tougher.”
ASU started transfer Regan Tinkle on the left side opposite Isanovic before turning to Roberta Rabelo in the fourth set. Both are freshmen as is setter Snyder and right side hitter Marta Levinska, Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for her play against Washington.
Levinska had nine kills on .029 hitting and Beedie six/.267, again providing too little support for Isanovic, who scored a match-high 26 points.
ASU hit just .169 with the Cougars finishing at .214. In sideout percentage, ASU was at 54.7 and Washington State 59.6.
The teams, first and second among others receiving votes in the AVCA coaches poll, play again at 11 a.m. Saturday.