RENO, Nev. – Despite a career-high 18 kills from junior
Peighton De Von, the Nevada Wolf Pack (2-2) fell to the Arizona State Sun Devils (4-0) Friday afternoon to open the Gonzaga tournament.
Nevada won the first set 25-23, but then fell 25-23, 25-17 and 25-19 to drop the match 3-1. De Von, who tallied 18 total kills for a career high, recorded nine in the first set alone. She was joined in double-figure kills by sophomore
Shayla Hoeft (12) and senior
Madison Foley (11). Sophomore
Ayla Fresenius led the team defensively with 18 digs, a career high as well. Sophomore
Dalyn Burns tallied 12 digs along with her 38 assists for her first career double-double and just the second double-double from the Wolf Pack this season.
Nevada jumped out to a big 6-2 lead over the Sun Devils to start the match, forcing an early ASU timeout. Nevada kept ASU at a distance for most of the match, being the first of the two teams to hit 20. A quick run by ASU would knot things up at 23 all, but two straight Wolf Pack points from De Von and sophomore
Camille Davey gave Nevada the set victory 25-23. De Von, who has been on fire since the Pack beat Utah Valley, recorded nine kills in the first set.
Nevada got out to another lead to start the second set, but ASU was able to overcome this one much faster, taking a 9-7 before a Wolf Pack timeout. The Sun Devils kept their lead, but a late Wolf Pack run narrowed the deficit to two, 22-20, and forced the ASU timeout. The Pack would come as close as 24-23 before a big Sun Devil kill split the match 1-1 heading into the locker room.
Set three started more neck and neck than the previous with both teams tied as high as 10-10. It was then that the Sun Devils went on a run, however, taking a 15-10 lead to pull ahead. Nevada couldn't get anything going after that, falling 25-17.
ASU look the early lead in set four, going up 8-4. The Wolf Pack then went on a 5-1 run, tying it up at nine all and starting a long stretch of close volleyball. Tied up at 17, the Sun Devils did what they had in the previous sets and began to pull away. They would go on to win 25-19, taking the match 3-1.
Nevada will face Portland State at 5 p.m. Friday night in game two of its doubleheader at the Gonzaga tournament.
