No. 21 Cougars drop four-set match to No. 8 Sun Devils

TEMPE, Ariz. — No. 21 BYU women’s volleyball dropped a four-set decision to No. 8 Arizona State (25-27, 26-28, 23-25, 21-25) at Desert Financial Arena on Friday night.

BOX SCORE

The Cougars (18-7, 6-7 Big 12) received double-doubles from Alex Bower, Suli Davis and Claire Little Chambers, but struggled to keep pace with the Sun Devils after taking the opening set.

With 45 assists and a career-high 17 digs, Bower recorded her sixth double-double of the season. Davis (20 kills, 10 digs) and Little Chambers (13 kills, 10 digs) posted double-doubles in consecutive matches for their sixth and fifth of the year, respecivley.

Davis tallied her seventh 20-kill performance of the season. It was her second in a row and fourth in the last six matches. Little Chambers landed a career-high five aces as BYU finished with 10 as a team, its eighth time this season with 10 or more aces.

Brielle Kemavor joined Davis and Little Chambers in double figures, adding 10 kills of her own for the Cougars' seventh match with three or more hitters in double digits.

In a match that had 25 ties and 16 lead changes, BYU hit .175 to ASU's .195. The Cougars had five more kills (58-53) and digs (66-61) as well as seven more aces (10-3) than the Sun Devils, but six more service errors (10-4) and one less block (11-10).

Set 1
Both teams battled early, trading 3-0 runs before a 4-0 span by Arizona State forced a BYU timeout at 13-8. The Cougars then reeled off 10 in a row, backed by Little Chambers at the service line, to take an 18-13 lead while the Sun Devils took both of their timeouts.

Two Davis kills sandwiched a Sophia Callahan-Elena Wallace double block before kills by Callahan and Little Chambers, both through the ASU block, got BYU set point. A Callahan-Kemavor stuff had the Cougars closing the set on a 6-2 run en route to a 25-17 set win.

Set 2
The second set featured seven ties and lead changes through the media timeout alone, where BYU held a 15-14 lead. The Cougars overcame an early 5-1 deficit and had runs of three and four straight, forcing an Arizona State timeout ahead 17-14.

Trading points out of the break, BYU got kills from Davis and Little Chambers, but a 3-0 Sun Devil run tied things at 20, where the Cougars called timeout. BYU took a two-point lead on Little Chambers’ fourth ace of the night, but consecutive errors drew a 22-all tie, and the Cougars used their second timeout.

Going back-and-forth down the stretch, the set would eventually see 13 ties and eight lead changes, with ASU tying the match at one set apiece, 28-26.

Set 3
Both teams had 3-0 runs as the Cougars once again maintained a 15-14 advantage at the media timeout. Little Chambers had three kills in the early going, while Kemavor and Davis both had two.

Arizona State scored five of the next seven out of the break, and BYU took its first timeout down 19-17. Each team then tallied a kill followed by an ace, resulting in two timeouts with ASU leading 21-19.

Two Davis kills sandwiched a back row attack from Little Chambers, keeping the Cougars alive. A Davis-Wallace double block fought set point off once, but the Sun Devils took the third, 25-23.

Set 4
Down 3-0, BYU responded with a 3-0 run of its own, including Elli Mortensen’s third ace of the contest, but Arizona State took four of the next five from there, forcing a Cougar timeout ahead 9-5.

Davis, Little Chambers and Callahan each recorded kills as BYU tried to keep pace, but the Sun Devils went up 17-12 as the Cougars called their second timeout.

Trading points from there, ASU kept its lead. Consecutive Callahan kills provided a late surge for BYU, but Arizona State would close things out, 25-21.

Up Next
The Cougars will return home for a single-game week next week, facing Utah in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. MST.