Sun Devils Host Weekend Volleyball Opener

By Marsha Wolf: SPM Men's Sports Editor: Arizona
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008

Returning for the Sun Devil’s 2008 season are two All Pac-10 honorable mention selections, Margie Giordano and Sarah Reaves. Both outside hitters from Glendale, AZ, the pair look to continue leading the Sun Devil offense in 2008.

TEMPE, AZ. - Led by new Head Coach Jason Watson, the Arizona State University Sun Devil Volleyball season opens at home on August 29th against South Carolina at 12 p.m. followed by a 7 p.m. match up against UNLV. The tourney winds up for the Sun Devils with a match against Dayton at 1 p.m. August 30th.

Will Athletic Director Lisa Love’s golden touch with head coaching hires continue with the signing of Jason Watson? Love has a history of hiring head coaches with a knack for winning and winning big, including Dennis Erickson, Herb Sendek and Clint Myers.

Watson, late of Brigham Young University, will attempt to develop a young Sun Devil squad for a competitive Pac-10 schedule. Watson’s 74-18 (.804) record at BYU led to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, with the Cougars highest finish being in the Elite Eight in 2007. Prior to that, Watson was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year during his rookie campaign while the team achieved its best record (25-4) since 1998.

Hoping to see the same successes at ASU, Watson will be assisted by Brent Aldridge, an assistant for Watson at BYU and Sammi Stuart, former Director of Volleyball Operations at BYU. Aldridge’s strengths are defensive strategy and recruiting. Under Aldridge’s tutelage at Northern Arizona University, the Lumberjack’s blocking average increased to the highest it had been in 10 years. As an assistant at New Mexico, Aldridge commandeered the Lobo’s to set a single-season block assist record. Stuart’s role will be breaking down film, compiling stats and working with the liberos, a significant role for the 2008 Sun Devils who lost their all-time career dig record holder, Sydney Donahue, to graduation.

Returning for the Sun Devil’s 2008 season are two All Pac-10 honorable mention selections, Margie Giordano and Sarah Reaves. Both outside hitters from Glendale, AZ, the pair look to continue leading the Sun Devil offense in 2008. A two-time All Pac-10 selection, Giordano averaged 3.51 kills per game and 2.64 digs. As a freshman last year, Reaves led the Sun Devils with a 4.14 kills per game average. Reaves also holds the all-time kills in a match record. Her 28 kills against then #21 Oregon on September 27, 2007 one-upped the prior record of 27 kills by Juliana Escobar, also against Oregon on October 18, 2002. Junior outside hitter Paige Mittelstaedt of Phoenix will take on a more significant role this season, replacing the graduated Danielle Fernandes. Junior Marina Mercer of Chandler, AZ will assume the setter’s position this season, as she did so successfully in the 2006 season, garnering All Pac-10 Freshman Team honors.

The tourney features host ASU, UNLV, Dayton and South Carolina. The Dayton Flyer’s will bring their successful volleyball tradition to Wells Fargo Arena. Winning four of the last five Atlantic-10 conference titles and compiling a 33-2 record last season, the Flyer’s will look to be the class of the tournament. The Runnin’ Rebels may have something to say about the tourney outcome, entering the 2008 campaign after the best-ever finish in UNLV history with a 24- win season, Mountain West Conference Championship and NCAA tournament appearance to their credit. South Carolina enters the tourney led by all SEC Conference Selection Megan Laughlin, a sophomore middle-blocker. The Gamecocks are coming off a 14-15 2007 campaign.

Looking to improve on last season’s 15-16 record and underscore the success of Athletic Director Lisa Love’s coaching hires and their new Head Coach’s winning ways, the Sun Devils will provide the desert heat this weekend, Dayton their high-flying winning ways while South Carolina will be more than 'game' as the Rebels will be running down the digs. All teams are hoping to start the season on a successful note.